


Love Has No Rhyme and No Reason

by ghettooutlaw, LaCorelli



Category: Zorro (TV 1990), Zorro - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episodes mostly in Production Order, F/M, Gen, Nonbroadcast order changes, One Special Night moved to near the end of Season 2, Reveal, Romance, Victoria figures out Diego's secret, Victoria isn't an idiot, canonical character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 54
Words: 302,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22255474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghettooutlaw/pseuds/ghettooutlaw, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaCorelli/pseuds/LaCorelli
Summary: One night in an abandoned windmill, Victoria figures out Diego's secret, and nothing is going to be quite the same. Series reordering and rewrite starting with "One Special Night," set near the ending of Season 2.
Relationships: Victoria Escalante/Diego de la Vega
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. It Started One Night (One Special Night)

**Author's Note:**

> Back in 2012 this began on FFN as the inevitable "One Special Night" AU story, though I always intended to cover much more than just this episode, as I wanted to do something a bit more than just add to the single episode rewrite stories, and since I actually love reading fanfiction stories where writers actually show how other episodes of a series would change if the main couple got together earlier, it was almost inevitable that I would have to follow this through to the end though it has taken me nearly eight years to get to the finish of this epic series rewrite.
> 
> So first to explain not using broadcast order. The fact is the show had a very loose relationship with continuity as well as history, so since they didn't care, I decided I didn't need to care either, so I ended up putting most of the episodes in production order, which puts "One Special Night" (which was produced during season 2 but broadcast near the end of season 3) near the end of season 2 and gives me most of season 3 and all of season 4 to play with, which was a large part of the reason I went for that order.
> 
> Roughly speaking this starts sometime after "The Old Flame"— which is another season 3 story produced during season 2— and before "Devil's Fortress" which also means definitely before "A New Lease on Love." Season 3 stories that were produced in season 2 before "One Special Night" and which will be treated as happening before are, in production order, "The Old Flame," "Alejandro Rides Again," "Heir Apparent," and "Armed & Dangerous." Basically, I'm treating "One Special Night" as the penultimate story of season 2, with "Devil's Fortress" as the season finale.
> 
> Also, while writing this, I treated each episode (and interlude) as its own separate though interconnected story, and in fact considering you can do series here, I almost decided to post them separately under the series title of "Love Has No Rhyme and No Reason". However, while they can technically be read alone they work better together, so I'm keeping them all in one story.  
> Also, I need to express my gratitude for PamZ's episode transcripts; they made the writing process so much easier (it helped to be able to check the dialogue even when I was going to change it), and also without them, I wouldn't know what was missing from some of the DVD releases.
> 
> And finally, I need to thank my husband for putting up with being my sounding board and getting roped into being my beta reader as well as occasional collaborator.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One night in an abandoned windmill, Victoria figures out Diego's secret, and nothing is going to be quite the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "One Special Night" was written by Gary Steven Rieck, and anything you recognize is his.

Victoria sat on the bench feeling confused and more than a little guilty. Today had been such a strange day. Ever since she and Diego had left Santa Paula, she had been fighting off feelings she thought had vanished when she'd fallen in love with Zorro. Diego had been so different today. Determined, persuasive, forceful, something she'd only rarely glimpsed in him since the day he'd gotten back from Madrid.

He was like the Diego she remembered when they were young, the one she'd decided at the age of fourteen that she was going to marry when they were old enough. The one who seemed to vanish so soon after returning home— in fact, who seemed to have disappeared the moment Zorro arrived.

Was that really a coincidence? She started to push the thought back as she had so many times before, but for once wondered _why_ she didn't want to consider it. Zorro and Diego. Diego and Zorro. The two most important men in her life, so different, and yet— this was the part she was having difficulty with— so much alike. It was as if she'd suddenly realized that two apparently different doors might lead to precisely the same room.

Zorro was so much like the old Diego— brave, heroic, dashing. She'd always known that had been a large part of the reason she'd fallen in love with Zorro in the first place, though she'd never admit it to a soul. So why couldn't it be that Zorro really was Diego? Was it that she felt that Diego only thought of her as a friend or little sister and not as someone to be courted?

Diego came back inside with more wood for the fire. It really was cold. She wrapped her arms around herself to try to fight off the chill and the wish that he'd just put his arms around her.

"It's getting worse out there," he said, standing back up and rubbing his hands together to warm them.

Victoria stared at him for a moment, wondering before being distracted again by the cold. Then suddenly, Diego reached down and pulled her to her feet. Startled, she looked at his face, his lowered eyes not really hiding an expression of longing there. For a moment, it seemed as if he might kiss her, but then as suddenly as the look appeared it vanished, leaving Victoria feeling strangely bereft and wondering if she'd imagined it. She'd so often wanted him to kiss her in the past that she no longer trusted her judgement on the matter.

"Excuse me," he said, moving her to the side and picking up the bench before setting it on end near the fire. "Right." He moved over to their luggage and grabbed a blanket. "I'm glad we brought these blankets." He laid one down.

Apparently, she _had_ imagined it. How could he be so cool if he felt anything at all? But there was a nagging doubt in the back of her mind. If her incredible thought was true, then he was very good at hiding what he felt and who he was.

"You mean we're spending the night here?" Victoria asked incredulously.

She didn't relish spending the night on the floor of a cold, abandoned windmill. On the other hand, she was alone with Diego and perhaps she could finally figure out what had changed him so much— or if he really was the man in the mask. Right now she wanted him to be more than anything. If nothing else, it would stop her feeling so guilty about being so strongly attracted to two apparently different men. She watched Diego as he moved; he seemed to be going out of his way to appear as harmless as possible, as if he didn't want her to get nervous.

"Well, the storm doesn't give us much choice," he said lightly, spreading out a second blanket a short way from the first. "There, that will make the floor more comfortable." After he finished he grabbed the bench and placed it between the blankets.

Victoria couldn't help asking, "And what is this?"

Diego picked up a sack and dropped it at the head of one blanket as he spoke. "Your side." He dropped another bag on the other blanket. "My side."

"How very proper," Victoria said. How like Diego to behave like that. He was always so concerned about propriety. Definitely more than she was. But was it just about being proper or some other reason? She was feeling confused, and she was starting to suspect Diego of being the best actor she'd ever known.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied.

Victoria was annoyed. Stomping down on the feeling that she would very much like for him to behave improperly, she replied in a harsher tone than she meant, "And neither would I."

She watched in disbelief as he just lay down on the blanket, facing away from her side of the room. He looked up at her with an obnoxiously cheerful face and said, "good night," before lying back down and closing his eyes. For a long moment, Victoria stared at him unable to believe it, until the thought crossed her mind that he might be afraid to sit and talk with her alone, and that was why he was in such a hurry to go to sleep. She hoped it wasn't wishful thinking on her part, but her earlier suspicions just wouldn't go away.

Sitting down on the end of the bench, she stared at the fire as thought after thought raced through her head. First, the obvious physical similarities. Both were tall with blue eyes and mustaches. It was ridiculous that she hadn't put that together. Or had she tried to ignore the fact that she'd fallen for a man who reminded her of the Diego she'd once known?

And why would he court her as Zorro and not as himself? After all, it would only be safe for her to marry Zorro if he was able to finally remove the mask, and she was beginning to wonder if that day would ever come. Even if justice came to Los Angeles, it might never be a good idea for Zorro to reveal his identity. Too many villains had been brought to justice by him, and too many brash swordsmen would want to challenge him. Not to mention that if the political winds changed again, he could find himself a hunted man, this time with no other identity to flee to. And how did he expect her to react to finding out who was hiding behind that mask? To know that her best friend, a man who certainly could have courted and won her, chose instead to flirt from behind a mask. So why?

And pieces of the answer began to fall into place as her thoughts jumped around. He'd probably never expected to be Zorro so long and hadn't thought about the consequences of unmasking Zorro any more than she had. Maybe he'd been as caught up in her infatuation with Zorro as she had been. With a sigh, she realized that Diego had probably never known how she'd felt about him before he left for Spain, or how much she'd been looking forward to his return.

After all, she had always gone to great pains to hide her feelings for Diego. First to keep her brothers from teasing her or worse keep her away from him and second to protect herself if Diego never saw her as anything more than a friend. After Zorro's daring rescue of her and Don Alejandro, Diego had so quickly gone back to treating her like a sister that it was so easy to let her initial admiration of Zorro grow into infatuation.

She'd been so disappointed by the changes in Diego, that she couldn't help expressing her disapproval, comparing him to the man who seemed to be so much more like he used to be than he was. There had been a bit more of wounded pride in that criticism than she'd ever let on. However, her mind kept switching back to the material issue. No matter how blind she'd been, how critical, how infatuated, Diego would know the truth, and knowing the truth, how could he have let her keep getting more involved with his masked self rather than the true man?

And the answer to that hit her in the face like a bucket of cold water. He'd actually tried— obliquely, cautiously— but he'd tried, and she had missed or misunderstood every hint. How could he tell her, when every indication was that she loved only Zorro and not the Diego he presented to the world?

She remembered back when he'd challenged that faker Ramirez to a duel that Zorro had fought instead. Afterwards, Zorro had asked about her regard for Diego, and she brushed her feelings aside in her eagerness to assure Zorro of her affections. And when for a single moment, she'd almost put it together, she dismissed it again, not wanting to get her hopes up, laughing in Diego's face. No wonder he'd said nothing then. He couldn't have known what she'd really been feeling. She was starting to feel like she'd gotten as good at hiding her true feelings as he had his identity.

She felt worse when she remembered the time she'd been shot trying to save Zorro. If she'd been paying the slightest bit of attention to Diego, she would have known the truth. When she'd first woken, Diego had told her that Zorro hadn't been seen since she'd been shot, and yet he also said that the reason was that he could no longer endanger innocent people. Admittedly, she'd been groggy, but she had a lot of time to think while recovering, and she should have wondered how or why Diego knew this. And then in the garden, when Zorro had said that she should have a husband like Diego, she should have realized then what he was really trying to tell her. If she had, it would have been so easy for them then— Zorro backing away from feelings of guilt and her turning to Diego after he'd looked after her. But at the time, all she wondered was why Zorro would think Diego would be interested in marrying _her_. He'd been treating her as a friend for such a long time that she'd believed that was all Diego felt for her, and she was afraid that she'd lose Zorro as well.

But if she'd really understood him that night, if he really did love her, they could have been married by now. There would be no need to have a bench between them, and the only gossip they'd have to worry about is the speculation about when the next de la Vega would be born. She blushed slightly as she thought of it and glanced back at Diego. He really was the most handsome man she'd ever known; she'd had to work to pretend not to notice that.

Turning back to the fire, she tried to decide what to do. Things were a little more complicated now; if Diego really were Zorro, she couldn't just suddenly reveal her feelings for Diego. Despite the fact that she'd cared for Diego such a long time, she'd been too outspoken about her feelings for Zorro and her disappointment with Diego for anyone to believe a sudden switch between them. That would be the quickest way to lose him to the alcalde's rope, and she was not going to risk it.

Of course, if it seemed like Diego had compromised her, that would be a quick way to marriage. She didn't really mind the thought, but she was sure that Diego would hate it. He'd always cared more about her reputation than she did. So that wouldn't do. On the other hand, he had really done very well today, as himself, and it really wouldn't be so difficult to start to publicly admire Diego as he appeared to be. After all, he might seem to be overly studious and inclined to take to his bed at the slightest sign of a cold, but he was also a kind, compassionate man who was always willing to help those in need. He wasn't as forward or splashy as Zorro, but he was a good man and her friend. It wouldn't be that hard.

And there was something else that she could exploit. Even though it had never mattered to her except as a possible barrier between them, Diego's wealth and position certainly made him the most eligible bachelor in the territory, and who but the most romantically inclined would blame her for preferring a settled home with such a man than an uncertain existence with a bandit?

Suddenly, she had the curious sensation of being watched, but when she turned, Diego's eyes were closed. She really needed a plan, and she needed to talk to Diego. She had to know the truth.

Did he really love her? He'd never said the words as either Zorro or Diego, and there was still that odd sliver of doubt. If she could just prod him into some action, that would help. He was just too controlled. Of course, she was a bit too impulsive, and if everything she thought were true, she'd need to show him that she could act as well as he.

Again, she felt eyes on her and turned, this time she saw Diego looking at her through half-closed eyes. Ha! He was awake, and she was determined to try to get him to do something, reveal something.

"You were very impressive today," she said, starting with honesty.

As she suspected, this got him to stop pretending to be asleep. "Was I?" he said. "Oh, thank you."

Good, she got him talking; now to try to get him to react a bit. "Although speech-making is very different from action, isn't it?" she said, trying to treat him as she had been. _As well you should know, you're very good at both, even if you only show a little at a time._ "Why don't you ever do anything?" She knew this wasn't true, but she wanted to goad him— just a little.

But it didn't really work. He just got a faraway look in his eye, as he said, "Oh, I do lots of things. I read... play the piano... write poetry..."

_You do more than that, even without a mask_ , Victoria thought. _Please, give me something more, a dream, a hope, a passion. Show me the Diego I remember._ "I know all about those things. But isn't there something you want above everything else? Something you must have?" _For once, Diego, be impulsive. Drop the mask just a little._

Her heart leapt a little when he half sat up and said in a passionate voice, "Yes!" He hesitated a little. Victoria hoped he was finally ready to tell her the truth but was disappointed as she saw him regain control of himself and say instead, "Sleep. I must have sleep."

Oh, he was so frustrating, so controlled. But then he had had a lot of practice, hadn't he? She rolled her eyes as she moved over to her side of the bench. She was not going to give up so easily. It was just a case of switching to another tactic.

She lay down on the blanket, still thinking. It was funny; she'd managed to not think about her feelings for Diego for months. Or she thought she had. But now that the floodgates had opened, she knew she hadn't really done a very good job of it, not even with Zorro to distract her. For one thing, she'd been more than annoyed any time a woman had shown even a passing interest in Diego or with the thought that Diego could be interested in someone else.

She'd been especially irritated by that little tease Amanda Herrara when she'd been staying at the de la Vegas' hacienda without a chaperone. At the time, she didn't really understand why she'd been so cross with Diego, who was apparently only interested in helping Mendoza court the woman. But she'd been convinced that Señorita Herrara, who had what seemed like half the men in the _pueblo_ trying to woo her, was equally determined to trap Diego in her net.

Even after she and her bland fiancé had left town, Victoria had been curious enough that she'd basely pumped Mendoza for information about what happened that night at the de la Vegas' all under the guise of offering sympathy. She'd been a little ashamed of her duplicity at the time, but that hadn't stopped her from extracting every last detail from him or from feeling a sense of satisfaction that she'd been right about Señorita Herrara's intentions, though Diego had apparently been quite vocal about his lack of interest.

And then there'd been Zafira Correna. She'd been astonished and not a little disappointed to discover Diego had been engaged once. She'd worried about that while he was away at school, and it bothered her to realize that he had not only proposed marriage to another woman but also only chance had prevented that marriage.

While she had more than her share of suitors, no one had ever quite measured up in comparison to him, and it stung her to have it confirmed just how little an impression she'd ever made on him. She could hardly hide her relief when he told the now _married_ woman who said she still had feelings for him that he no longer cared for her, though she was surprised to hear he was in love with a woman who was in love with someone else. She had spent some time trying to determine who this mystery woman could be; unlike Mendoza, however, Diego was much better at keeping his secrets, though it didn't stop her from trying to think of every single or widowed woman within a fifty mile radius.

It wasn't too long afterwards that Don Alejandro had been complaining that Diego was off gallivanting. She hadn't believed that he had been, not really, but then when she'd asked him about it, he'd said there had been a woman but— what were his exact words?— "the fire had gone out." Was that it? And she'd spent some time thinking he'd spoken to the woman he'd mentioned and been turned down. But if he was Zorro, then she knew exactly what he'd been doing, and who the woman was, and the literal fire he'd been referring to. How could he have teased her like that? But then again, how would he have known it would bother her? She'd gotten very good at pretending that she thought of him as only a friend.

Oh, could she pull herself together? Victoria looked at the flames of the fire and decided that she'd rather try to talk with Diego. It would be better than continuing to let her thoughts chase themselves in circles. Poetry was a good subject. After all, he'd just mentioned it.

"The fire reminds me," she said, quietly, remembering, "when my mother used to read me poems and adventure stories of love and courage. 'Love has no rhyme and no reason. It strikes with a passionate fire, engulfing the hearts in flame... '"

"'And only your cool, sweet lips will quench my burning desire,'" Diego finished, in a low tone, sounding more like Zorro than his usual self.

Maybe it would just be best to let him know something of what she was thinking. Could being wrong be worse than not knowing at all? Throwing caution to the winds, Victoria sat up, placing her arms on the bench and looking over at him. He seemed to be lying very stiffly, as if uncomfortable.

Still a little unsure, Victoria said, "Diego, something happened today. Something I've never noticed before. When you stood up to the King's emissary, there was something about you... . Well, you seemed different somehow."

She paused for a moment trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to tell him, when a heavy gust of wind blew the door open sending an icy blast into the room. Diego ran to the door and pulled it shut, latching it. Victoria sat up and hugged herself in the again cold room.

Diego turned away from the door and when he saw her, said, "Oh, you're chilled. Here." Always the gentleman, he took off his jacket and knelt in front of her to drape it around her shoulders. "Get this around you." He rubbed her arms to try to warm her.

Victoria looked up at his face to thank him, but the words died on her lips as she saw the expression in his eyes. At that moment, she knew the truth: he was Zorro, he definitely did not think of her as a sister, and she was never more relieved about anything in her whole life.

She felt light-headed as she looked in those very blue eyes, feeling like she was seeing a series of images overlaying one another to show a whole other picture— the Diego she had a crush on before he left for Spain, the one she'd glimpsed briefly when he returned, the scholarly Diego who seemed only to care about arts and sciences, the compassionate Diego who was always willing to lend an ear, and even the heroic Diego who hid behind a mask to fight injustice and protect those he loved. It was as if she'd suddenly discovered the whole man after seeing only fragments.

He was leaning closer to her now, the intensity of his expression making her melt inside. Was he finally going to kiss her without a mask on? She watched as his expression changed slightly, doubt seemed to creep in. Was he worried about her feelings or the propriety of kissing her when they were all alone unlikely to be interrupted by _anything_?

In frustration, she could see him preparing to draw back and retreat behind the mask of friendship. Well, she wasn't going to let him, not now that she knew the truth, not after all this time. Quickly, she closed the gap between them and kissed him, hoping that he wouldn't pull away from her.

He didn't. His arms slid around her back and he returned her kiss with a passion that took her breath away. She managed to work her arms out from under his jacket and slip them around his neck, pulling him closer. His arms tightened around her almost reflexively. A slight gasp escaped her. Diego finally seemed to become conscious of what he was doing and drew back with a guilty expression.

"Victoria, forgive me. I shouldn't have... I didn't mean to..." he stammered, as he stood up and backed away.

She got to her feet, letting his jacket slip to the floor, forgotten. She crossed to him, putting a hand on his arm. "Diego, if any one needs to apologize, it is me. After all, I'm the one who kissed you." She paused for a moment, before saying, "I wanted you to kiss me."

He looked stunned. After a long moment as if it was dragged from somewhere deep inside, he asked, "Why?"

Victoria looked at him silently, unable to give voice to what she was feeling. However, as the silence stretched, she knew she had to say something. Suddenly, wanting reassurance on one point before putting her heart on the line, Victoria said, "I'll answer that question, if you answer one of mine first." Unable to look at him any longer, she walked back to the bench and sat down before continuing. "It's one I've asked before, in a manner of speaking, but this time I need you to give me an honest answer."

Confused apprehension radiated off him in waves. "If I can," he said, hesitantly, coming to sit on the other end of the bench.

While Victoria's first thought was just ask him directly, her second was to be as indirect as he tended to be, and she decided to go with that second impulse and ask him the question that had bothered her off and on until this evening. Victoria took a deep breath. "Who is she?"

"What?" Diego exclaimed, clearly disconcerted. "I... I... don't think I understand the question."

Glancing at him, Victoria realized that he'd expected her to ask him about Zorro, but that actually didn't matter to her at the moment. She clarified the question to leave him in no doubt what she was asking. "The woman you told Señora Correna about, the one you told me was in love with another man. Who is _she_?" She softened her voice. "I need to know, please."

Diego sat speechless. Victoria didn't dare do more than glance at him from beneath her lashes, hoping he wasn't going to find a way to wriggle out of answering her.

Finally, he started to speak. "I..." he stopped and then tried again. "I think you know the answer."

Victoria turned to face him then. "I need you to tell me, Diego."

He glanced away for a moment, sighed, and then looked directly at Victoria. "You," he finally said in a whisper. "And only you." His expression was faintly terrified as he waited for her response.

Victoria closed her eyes for a second, then smiled up at him. "That's a relief. However, you were wrong about one thing."

"Wrong? Wrong about what?" Diego asked, a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes.

"I'm not in love with another man," she said softly.

She'd managed to render him speechless again. He looked dazed. "But I thought... I mean... it seemed like..." he stammered. He stopped, visibly pulled himself together, and said, "What about Zorro?"

Considering who he was, Victoria wasn't about to let him off too lightly. "Well, what about Zorro?" she asked, not taking her eyes from his face.

"I thought you loved _him_ ," Diego finally said, hesitantly. "I didn't think you noticed _me_ at all."

Victoria sighed. If she left it to him, they would never get anywhere, and she was tired of games. "I've always noticed you, Diego. Even when I didn't want to. Even when _you_ didn't notice _me_. And Zorro reminded me so much of you before you left from Spain. Maybe a bit bolder, more flamboyant, and most importantly interested in me," she said, looking away from him. "How could I resist when you were treating me as a friend? And you'd changed so much; he seemed so much more like you than you were. I didn't understand why— until tonight."

She didn't dare look back at him. She'd said more than she meant to, though not nearly as much as she could have. It was up to him now, and she wasn't sure if she could forgive him if he tried to keep up the pretense any longer. The blinders had come off, and they weren't going back on again.

She felt rather than saw Diego slide off the bench beside her. He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"I'm sorry, Victoria. Very sorry. I never thought things would get this complicated," he said, softly. "I never expected to have to be Zorro this long. And the longer I've been him, the more dangerous the secret seems to have become. I've hated having to pretend with you and my father, but it's seemed like the best way to keep you safe. I never wanted to get you involved. It's bad enough that Felipe knows."

"Felipe?" Victoria exclaimed. "I should have realized." She shook her head a little before continuing. "But, Diego, I _am_ involved. If you were trying to protect me, how could you encourage my feelings for you as Zorro? The promise you made me..."

Diego's head dropped. "I meant it—I still mean it. Every word."

"That wasn't my point, and I think you know that."

"I do. It's just once things got started, I couldn't seem to find a way out of the situation I created. And every time I tried, it seemed that I didn't really stand a chance in comparison with Zorro."

"Well, you didn't make a very good job of it," Victoria replied, remembering all the odd frustrating moments. "I never understood what you were trying to do when you hinted as Zorro, and you've done far too good a job of pretending indifference as Diego. There were times, I wish you'd..." She broke off, shaking her head a little.

He looked up at her. "You wished I'd what?" he asked.

She gently squeezed his hands. "It doesn't matter. There's no point in regretting the past. The more important question is what we're going to do now."

He sighed. "It's still dangerous."

"I know, but life can be dangerous. And there's no telling when or if Zorro can ever publicly unmask."

"What are you saying?" Diego asked.

"I'm saying that I don't want to wait for some moment when it will be safe for Zorro to unmask," Victoria said. "I'm tired of waiting for a legend. I'd far rather be courted by a man of flesh and blood," she paused and then, wanting to be absolutely sure he didn't misunderstand, added, "as long as he's you."

Diego smiled at her then. He reached up to caress her cheek. She closed her eyes, relishing the sensation. "I'm finding this very hard to believe," he whispered. He kissed the corner of her mouth.

Victoria opened her eyes. "What?" she asked, returning his kiss. "That I know your secret? Or that it's you that I love?"

"Both, I think," he said. "And somehow, I expected you to be angry." He kissed her again.

"Well, I'm not angry, just regretful," she replied, between kisses. "And you're stalling. Not that I mind— much."

Diego drew back, with a sigh. "It's hard to know what to do. You can't just switch your affections from Zorro to me without the alcalde getting suspicious."

"I realize that, but I can be patient. I have been patient."

"I know, and I'm sorry you've had to be. Perhaps with some time..."

"The romance with Zorro could fade, and our friendship could become something more," Victoria interjected. "A year from now, I don't think anyone would think it at all odd if we were to..." She stopped, suddenly unsure again, wanting to know what Diego would say. He'd always been the cautious one.

"Marry?" Diego said, without hesitation finishing her thought. "I suppose it could work, if we're very careful." He suddenly grinned mischievously. "And if you can stop flirting with Zorro."

"As long as he stops flirting with me," Victoria replied, with a smile. "He started it after all."

"I'm not sure I would put it like that," Diego protested.

"I would," Victoria retorted.

"Well, your charms are very difficult to resist," Diego finally said, taking her hand and kissing it gently.

"You seemed to resist well enough without the mask on," she said.

"Seemed is the operative word," he said. "You'd be surprised how hard it's been." He looked down at the hand he was holding. "I'm still afraid of the danger we're going to face now. I never wanted you to have to play a role as I have. And it's one you're going to have to play as long as Zorro is still needed. You're going to have to treat us as two different people all of the time. It's not going to be easy."

Victoria pulled her hand out of his and reached up to take hold of his face. She forced him to look her in the eyes. "I'm willing to take the chance, Diego. It's worth the danger; it's worth the acting, and I think I can be a better actress than you realize. I know you're afraid of what will happen. So am I, but I'd rather take the risk than go on without you. I just need you to be willing to take the chance as well. Please. For our future."

He looked into her eyes for a long moment. "How can I refuse?" he finally said, before kissing her again.

This kiss was deeper and more full of promise. Victoria slipped her hands into his hair, glad that this time no mask was in the way. His hair was surprisingly soft to the touch. Everything around her seemed to take on a heightened reality as if determined to press this moment permanently in her memory. The feel of his lips on hers. The sound of the rain on the roof. The slight tickling of his mustache. The hard wood of the bench. The warmth of his embrace. Time seemed to have stopped for her. It could have been a minute or an hour for all she was aware of when Diego pulled away from her. He was near enough that she could still feel his breath on her face, and she lost herself in the expression in his deep blue eyes.

"I think..." He had to stop to clear his throat, and she could feel him trembling slightly. "I think... we'd better try to get some sleep before we find we need to get married faster than we planned."

Victoria was tempted to say she didn't mind, but she knew he was right, so instead she said, reluctantly, "Your side and my side?"

He stood up uncomfortably, folding his arms tightly. "Yes, definitely," he said, shakily.

Victoria picked up his jacket. Tempting as it was to keep it, she was no longer feeling cold, and his shirt seemed rather thin. "Here, you can have this back now. I don't think I need it anymore."

Gingerly taking it from her, Diego put it on before moving back to his side of the bench. Their gazes locked for a long moment. Diego took her hand and placed a kiss on the palm before turning away to lay back down. "Good night, Victoria," he said.

Victoria lay down on her side still looking at him. "Good night, Diego." She wondered how she was ever going to be able to sleep.

It was just after dawn when Victoria awoke to see that Diego was already up. He was quietly folding his blanket up.

"The storm's passed," he said, when he saw her staring at him. "We can head back any time now."

Victoria rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Much as she liked being alone with him, especially now, she'd definitely prefer to get back to her tavern. She stood up and helped him get their things together. Diego made sure the fire was truly out, before they mounted their horses for the trip back to Los Angeles.

They rode most of the way in silence. Victoria was absorbed in her thoughts; so much had changed in one night, and in the cold light of day, it seemed safer to pretend that nothing was different. Victoria glanced at Diego. He too seemed lost in thought.

Maybe he was thinking the same; more likely he was worrying about what the next few days or weeks would bring. She knew he was concerned about putting her in such a position, but in any event it was too late for regret now. She couldn't unknow his secret, any more than she could stop loving him. They'd neared the pueblo now. Victoria reined in her horse. Diego stopped close beside her.

"Diego, I can go alone from here. You should go and see your father," she said.

He smiled at her. "Yes, I should," he said with apparent reluctance. "But I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you as well, but I'll see you at the tavern later," Victoria replied. Everything would be more difficult in the beginning, but she knew they could make it work.

Diego took her hand and kissed it quickly before letting it drop. "Till later then," he said.

Victoria smiled at him once more before riding towards the pueblo gate. Everything seemed quiet as she rode into town. After taking her borrowed horse to the livery stable, Victoria went back to the tavern, hoping to get some rest before going back to work. Tired as she was, she planned to let Perez handle the breakfast crowd, since she hadn't planned on being back this early.

She'd barely had time to do more than doze off when a loud commotion woke her. Getting dressed quickly, Victoria ran out to discover that bandits had tied up Mendoza and robbed the alcalde's office. The lancers went out after them, but no one held much hope. Mendoza was too groggy to go after them himself and sat outside her tavern bemoaning his plight.

Victoria wondered if she should tell Diego but stopped herself from hurrying away. It would be too obvious if she ran off to the de la Vegas, and she knew that this was part of what worried Diego. Besides, Zorro always seemed to find out things quickly on his own. She'd wait and see for a little while, at least. And perhaps for once the lancers would get lucky.

She brought out something for Mendoza to drink while trying to encourage him. "Don't you have any confidence in your men?" she asked. Of course, she couldn't blame him for not expecting them to succeed.

Mendoza didn't appear to hear her as he said in despair, "What is the alcalde going to say?" Then he looked up surprised at something coming towards them. He stood up to get a better look. "What is this?"

Victoria turned and saw a couple of horses walking closer. On the backs of each were two men tied together.

" _Madre de Dios!_ " Mendoza exclaimed, getting closer to the horses.

Victoria heard another horse approaching from behind, and heard Perez say, "It's Zorro!" Backing up against the tavern wall, Victoria saw Zorro as if for the first time. It was so obvious now that he was Diego that she couldn't believe she'd ever been fooled at all, but she forced herself to think of him as simply Zorro while he spoke to Mendoza. She stayed back, determined not to draw attention to herself.

"Good afternoon, Sergeant. Please accept these prisoners as a gift from me," he said, sitting confidently astride Toronado.

Mendoza seemed confused by his speech. "Zorro?"

"I think you'll find what you're looking for in the leader's saddlebags," Zorro said, pointedly. His eyes and Victoria's met for just a moment, but it was to Mendoza he directed his " _adios_ " before riding away.

As Mendoza excitedly retrieved the gold and directed the available men to take the thieves to jail, Victoria slipped back into the tavern, relieved that no one seemed to notice or care that Zorro hadn't spoken to her or she to him. It might prove easier than she thought to let that aspect go, since Zorro almost always had to dash away. It would actually make it safer for him to not stop to acknowledge her as he left. But as she thought about how she saw Diego in the mask, she was more concerned about giving him away when he was in danger. She had to remember that with the mask on he was always Zorro and never anyone else at all. One wrong word could get him killed. That's what she had to guard against.

She threw herself into her work, as people began drifting in after the excitement in the plaza had faded. Though tired, she found cooking a good way to deal with the nervous energy she had left over in anticipation of seeing Diego again. She was more anxious about that than she'd been with seeing Zorro unexpectedly. She was relieved that everyone seemed more interested in talking about the robbery than in asking her about the trip to Santa Paula.

It was lunchtime before she saw Diego again. Mendoza was busily telling the story of his dealings with the bandits, exaggerating his bravery as usual, to a group of soldiers, and Victoria almost missed spotting him as he took a seat on the far side of the room. She schooled her expression to show no more than her ordinary friendliness.

"Hola, Diego," she said, approaching the table with a pitcher of water and glass. "It's good to see you again. Is your father feeling any better?"

Diego smiled at her, and she had to steady the tray as she placed the pitcher on the table. "Buenas tardes, Victoria," he replied, evenly, though his eyes seemed brighter than normal. "It's good to see you again too. Unfortunately, while we were gone he somehow managed to twist his ankle after getting out of bed against Dr. Hernandez's orders, so he's not in the best of humors."

"That's too bad. But I hope telling him about the Emissary's response cheered him a little."

"It did indeed, but I still thought it better to eat lunch in town today," he said, straight-faced.

Victoria wondered how much practice would it take to be as good at acting as he was. "Well, I'm very glad you did," she said with a warm smile.

"As am I," Diego replied simply, returning her smile.

She walked back toward the kitchen but turned for a moment to look back at him over her shoulder. _It isn't much_ , she thought, _but it is a beginning._

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: "The Devil's Fortress."
> 
> Previous episodes referred to in this story were "The Legend Begins," "The Unhappy Medium," "Broken Heart, Broken Mask," "The Tease," "The Old Flame," and "Sanctuary."


	2. There and Back Again (The Devil's Fortress) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news that Victoria's father may still be alive but imprisoned in the infamous Devil's Fortress proves a particular challenge for Diego and Victoria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Devil's Fortress" was written Philip John Taylor, and anything you recognize from the episode isn't mine.

Victoria was in an unusually bad humor that day. Nothing seemed to be going right. The weather was unaccountably cold. She'd managed to break two dishes. The alcalde was back from his latest trip, and while he hadn't done anything noticeably evil, Victoria was irritated with just the anticipation of his next scheme. And finally, she hadn't seen Diego in over three days, since he was busy helping his father who was still recuperating from cracked ribs and a sprained ankle.

Of course, it wouldn't be much better if he came to town, since she'd still have to treat him only as her dear friend and not as anything more— at least not yet. She wished she'd never promised to be patient about shifting her affection from Zorro to Diego. Or more pertinently, she wished she knew the best way to move things forward without causing Diego to panic or anyone else to be suspicious. In any event, she didn't think it would be at all out of place for her to visit her friend and his father that afternoon, and once there she might contrive to get a few moments alone with Diego. The thought brightened her mood just a little.

Her ruminations were broken by the entrance of Sgt. Mendoza. "Hola, Señorita Victoria," he said, walking over to her with an envelope in his hand. "There was a letter for you on the mail coach, and as I was already coming over here for some of your delicious tamales, I thought I'd bring it to you."

"Gracias, Sergeant," Victoria replied, taking the envelope from him. "I'm sure Alicia will get them for you." She looked at the envelope— the handwriting was unfamiliar. Wondering who could be writing her, she opened the envelope and took out the letter. She paled as she read the contents.

"Señorita? Are you all right?" Mendoza asked. "Is it bad news?"

"What?" Victoria asked distractedly.

"Bad news?" Mendoza repeated.

"I... don't know. This man says my father's alive but sick and imprisoned in Fortaleza del Diablo," Victoria said, unbelievingly. "Excuse me, I must go talk with Di— Don Alejandro. Alicia, take care of things." She hurried out of the tavern without another word.

Her mind was a whirl during the two-mile journey to the de la Vega hacienda. It was incredible, impossible. How could her father be alive? And if he was alive, was there any way to get him out of that horrible place? She knew she could count on Diego, but Don Alejandro would probably know more about the Devil's Fortress. Had her brothers received their letters? If only she'd heard from them recently, that would be something.

Her mind kept going over and over those points until she found herself knocking on the front door of the hacienda. She was almost startled when Diego opened the door.

"Victoria! Come in. Forgive the delay," he said, with a smile.

Victoria entered, still feeling dazed. "Diego, I need your help, and I think Don Alejandro's as well."

He looked at her in concern. "He should be around here somewhere; Dr. Hernandez just told him it was all right to walk around. What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Victoria said. "It has something to do with my father." She handed him the envelope, still at a loss.

Diego led her to the library, his arm around her waist. "Your father? I thought he died in Mexico during the revolution. Please sit down."

She sat on the sofa by the window, Diego beside her, before she spoke again. "Well, that's what we all thought. But he's alive, Diego. He's a prisoner at Devil's Fortress. The letter will explain it all." She looked at him while he started reading the letter and then turned to see Don Alejandro approaching.

"Victoria!" he said, as he limped into the room, using a cane. He made his way over to the chair next to the sofa and sat very carefully. "What a pleasant surprise."

Victoria couldn't say anything, but Diego spoke up.

"Victoria has just received this letter," he said. "From a man who was recently a prisoner of Fortaleza del Diablo."

Don Alejandro looked puzzled. "Well, I pity him. But what does that to do with Victoria?"

Diego looked over the letter. "This man claims to have shared a cell with her father."

Surprised, Don Alejandro exclaimed. "Alfonso? My old friend is still alive?" Victoria could only nod. "Oh, Victoria, my dear, how do you know you can trust the man who wrote the letter?"

"He swore to my father he would write to me and my brothers upon his release. And somehow I have to believe him," Victoria said. Her father was alive; he had to be. She couldn't let herself think that this was either a cruel hoax or mistaken identity.

"He says Señor Escalante's health is declining rapidly," Diego said, still looking at the letter.

"Where are your brothers?" Alejandro asked.

Victoria tried composing herself. It was difficult. "In Venezuela. I haven't heard from Francisco or Ramón in months." She looked between the two men anxiously. "I can't let my father die in that foul place."

"Of course not. We'll do something. And quickly," Alejandro said decisively, reaching over to touch her hand comfortingly.

"But what? What can we do?" Victoria couldn't seem to get her brain working at all. She looked at Diego hoping he'd come up with a suggestion. He appeared lost in thought.

Alejandro didn't seem to notice Diego at all, as he spoke, "I don't know. I'd go myself except for these injuries. Please, Victoria, I need time to think."

Diego spoke up then. "Time is the very thing we don't have. I'll ride to the fortress." He stood up.

Victoria almost cringed at Alejandro's incredulous reply. "You, Diego?"

She wanted to say something, anything, but seemed incapable of speech.

"Well, it appears I'm the only volunteer," Diego said, decisively. He turned to Felipe who had been watching the entire exchange. "Felipe, pack my bags at once."

Felipe gave a nod and then hurried away. Diego seemed ready to follow until his father halted him.

"Diego, what in the world are you going to say when you get there?" he asked.

"Well, I'll speak to the commandant of the prison," Diego said easily. "If Señor Escalante's illness is as serious as that letter indicates, perhaps he'll be merciful."

"And what if he isn't?" Alejandro demanded.

"Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," Diego said.

"Well, it seems my son has become a man of action overnight," Alejandro said, in amazed disbelief.

At that moment, Victoria truly hated the fact that Diego felt he had to hide who he was from his father, but she was at least grateful he had insisted he go as himself.

Diego seemed more unaffected by his father's comments than she was. He simply replied, "No." He crossed back to where Victoria was standing. She looked up at him. "This lady has been a good and loyal friend to the de la Vegas." He gently touched her arm as he spoke to her, his eyes saying more than his words could. "Your family is our family."

Not caring what his father might think, Victoria couldn't resist the urge to give Diego a hug. She would have hugged him even if she had thought of him only as a friend. "Thank you," she said.

Diego returned her hug briefly. "There's not a moment to lose." He left the room quickly.

Victoria looked after him; she couldn't let him leave just yet. There were things she needed to say to him without an audience. She faced Alejandro and wanting to let him know a little of what she felt said, "Your son is a kind and generous man. Thank you, Don Alejandro." She paused for a moment and then, as if she'd just thought of something, continued. "Oh, there's something I need to ask Diego before he goes. Will you excuse me?"

"Of course, Victoria," Alejandro replied. "Just let me know if you need anything."

Nodding on her way out of the room, she was in too much of a hurry to say anything else. She passed Felipe as he left Diego's room and almost ran into Diego as she entered.

"Victoria!" he exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders to keep her from falling over. "What is it?"

"I needed to speak to you alone before you left," Victoria said, breathlessly. "I didn't know what to say in front of your father. I wish you'd tell him the truth."

"You know why I don't," he replied sadly, still holding her shoulders. "He's safer for not knowing, at least until the need for Zorro is over. You know he'd never be able to just stand aside, if he knew who Zorro really was." He slid one hand to her cheek. "I worry enough now that you know."

"I'm glad I do," she said simply. "Thank you for doing this for me. If there's a chance..."

He took her hands in his. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Victoria, and I promise that if it is within the power of man, I will bring your father home."

"I know you will," Victoria said with conviction. But there was something else she needed to ask, and she struggled to find the right words. "Will Zorro be going as well?"

He sighed and stepped back. "I think it might be best. I have no idea what I'll find at the Devil's Fortress."

Victoria couldn't help but be worried, despite knowing he was Zorro, as well as Diego. "You will be careful, won't you?"

"Always," he replied, kissing her hands gently. "I have too much to look forward to."

"So do I." Impulsively she reached up and pulled his head down for a kiss. He hugged her tightly for a moment before letting her go. "I'm going to pray for you and my father," she said softly. " _Vaya con Dios_ , Diego." Not wanting to delay him any longer, Victoria turned and nearly ran out of the hacienda.

Diego watched Victoria go with a sigh before turning his attention back to preparing for the journey. That letter made her father's condition sound very serious; he couldn't afford to take much time before starting. He looked around his room to see if he'd forgotten anything before grabbing his bag and jacket. By this time, Felipe should have let one of the stablemen know to saddle Esperanza and hopefully have made it to the cave. Diego hated having to go through all the complications of leaving on one horse only to switch to another, but on a journey like this one, he needed Toronado, and Don Diego certainly could not afford to be seen leaving the Los Angeles area on Zorro's black stallion. Esperanza would be comfortable enough in Toronado's stall for the duration of his trip.

Relieved to see no one in the library, Diego made his way down to the cave where Felipe was waiting as expected. As he finished folding up Zorro's gear so that it would fit in Toronado's saddlebags, Diego told Felipe how when Victoria was about Felipe's age, her mother had been shot for aiding a wounded revolutionary and that her father and brothers had joined the rebel army swearing revenge, leaving Victoria to run the tavern. Privately, he had wondered how her father could just leave her on her own, even knowing how independent and capable she was, but then he realized that grief and anger can affect people different ways. He just hoped that he would be able to find a way to bring him back to Victoria.

Telling Felipe to saddle Toronado and meet him in the grove, Diego pulled on his jacket and picked up his bag and reentered the library. As he was heading for the door, he heard his father calling him. He braced himself then turned back as his father limped toward him.

"Good, I see you're about ready," Alejandro said. "I told Maria to pack up some food for you. I was afraid you'd forget that in your rush."

Diego blinked once. "Thank you," he said. "I _had_ forgotten."

Alejandro clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, when things have to be done in a hurry, it's easy to forget something. I am proud of you for volunteering to go. If it weren't for this..." he indicated his leg and ribs. "I'd handle this myself. I'm sorry you have to take on a task that is beyond what I can really expect from you. Still, we can hope for the best."

Glad that he'd had a lot of practice not wincing at his father's more barbed comments, Diego reflected privately that he was glad his father couldn't go, especially since he had no idea what he would need to do once he reached the Devil's Fortress. He didn't say anything for the moment, and apparently, Alejandro didn't expect him to, as he continued talking.

"Now, I think you should stop at your great aunt Catalina's on the way down. She or some of your cousins may have some more information about the Devil's Fortress that will help you. Also, don't let yourself get intimidated. Remember you're a de la Vega. We do still have some influence."

Diego refrained from pointing out that the family influence couldn't even get rid of an evil alcalde on their own doorstep, so it was unlikely to be too helpful in dealing with a prison comandante nearly three days journey from their home.

Composing himself to speak respectfully, Diego said, "I'll remember. I'm not sure if I will be able to stop there though. Time is critical now."

"Well, going through your aunt's lands will actually cut some time off your trip, so make the effort, son."

"I will."

Diego was eager to be on his way. He hugged his father before hurrying off to the kitchen to get the food Maria prepared. A few minutes after that, he was on Esperanza and heading towards the grove to meet with Felipe. When he got there, he was impressed with Felipe's disguise of Toronado, with a different saddle and a white forelock which would stand some scrutiny at the very least. It was very clever of him, and he was grateful for Felipe's forethought. He made sure Zorro's gear was secured as he transferred everything else from Esperanza. He wished he could think of an excuse to see Victoria again before he left, but nothing came to mind, and speed was imperative. He mounted Toronado and started away.

He stopped briefly. "Be safe, my friend. Take care of my father."

Felipe nodded. Then Diego rode away.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria spent some time praying for her father and Diego. She knew that if anyone could find a way to bring her father back to her, it would be him, but she still feared it was an impossible task. Why hadn't she insisted on going with him? She left the church still deep in thought. As she headed back towards the tavern, she was surprised to see Mendoza and the alcalde coming toward her.

"Buenos días, alcalde. Sergeant," she said in clipped tones. She expected them to move on but was surprised to see them turn to join her.

"Buenos días, Señorita Escalante," Mendoza said cheerily.

She barely paused, but found herself stopping when Ramone said, "Sergeant Mendoza and I are on our way to the Fortress to intercede for you father."

It took her a moment to register what he was saying and she responded almost automatically. "But you can't. If you do, then..." She managed to stop herself from saying anything else and forced herself to start thinking about the danger to Diego. After all, she already knew he'd have Zorro's things with him, and was he riding Toronado? It could be deadly for him to be seen by the alcalde, and there was no way to warn him..

The alcalde wasn't going to let it drop. "Then what?"

"Ah, nothing," Victoria said as blandly as she could, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this. She could at least say she already had someone acting for her. Diego's journey was not going to be a secret, after all. "Your kindness is greatly appreciated, but I'm afraid Don Diego has already gone out to the Fortress. Thank you."

That didn't seem to help at all. Ramone smirked at her words. "De la Vega's gone out to the Fortress? I will probably have to rescue him."

What was he up to? Determined not to let him use any kind of favor to her as an excuse, Victoria tried another tack. "I can't let you do this, alcalde," she said, with all the concern she could fake which wasn't much. "I mean, you have a pueblo to govern."

This simply caused him to put on his own expression of concern no more genuine than her own. "What else am I here for if not to ease the distress of my subjects..." He reached toward her, in what she assumed he thought was a comforting gesture, but which made her back away as if it was a snake and glare at him for his reference to "subjects." Ramone changed his words slightly, to seem more politic, she assumed, "... my people." He turned and walked away.

Now, Victoria was convinced that Ramone had some scheme in hand. She called to Mendoza as he started to follow the alcalde. "Mendoza," she said sharply. "The alcalde could care less about my father. What is he up to?"

Mendoza seemed genuinely puzzled and worried. "I don't know, Señorita Victoria. He has some sort of secret. He won't even tell me. Please pray for our safe return."

She realized it wasn't fair to blame Mendoza for the alcalde's schemes. He was simply a soldier, going where his leader told him to and not liking it. So she said more kindly, "I will, Sergeant." She watched him walk away and went back to the tavern to think.

~Z~Z~Z~

The journey south went reasonably quickly. Diego was surprised to find that he reached his great aunt's place early in the evening. He had decided that his father was right, but more pertinently, he had reason to believe that only his great aunt would be in residence at the moment, and he wouldn't have to deal with any of his cousins.

When he rode up to the hacienda he was surprised to see his great aunt sitting outdoors in her courtyard, considering the general coolness of the weather and the lateness of the hour, but then she never let anything like the weather get in the way of what she wanted to do.

"Hola, Aunt Catalina," he called as he dismounted at her gate.

His great aunt pushed herself up out of her chair with her ornate black cane. "Well, well, well, what brings you out my way, young Diego?"

"Urgent business at the Devil's Fortress. Which explains why I've descended on you with no warning, dear aunt," he said as he approached her.

"Oh, you," his aunt said giving him a hug. "You know I'm always glad to see you with or without warning. Besides, I'm alone at the moment, and the extra company is welcome even if it is only for a night. I assume it is only for the night, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. I have to get to the Devil's Fortress as quickly as possible."

"Well, come inside and tell me all about it."

"I have to see to my horse first," Diego said. "He's a bit temperamental."

"He won't be for Roberto; you know that," his aunt said. "Let him see to your horse and come inside. I'm going to tell Dolores that there'll be another for supper. Hurry along, young man."

Diego watched his aunt walk inside before taking Toronado to the stables where he found Roberto waiting for him. The wiry old man, who had been in charge of Aunt Catalina's stables since before Diego had been born and who had a true gift when it came to horses, always seemed to know when he was required, and his loyalty to the de la Vega family was absolute and unbending. Diego knew he could trust him and what was more knew that Toronado could trust him.

Taking in Toronado's disguise unblinkingly, Roberto simply said, "No one else will bother him. When do you leave?"

Diego cleared his throat. "At dawn tomorrow."

"He'll be ready. Better get back to Doña Catalina, or she'll be out here to fetch you."

"Gracias," Diego said. Taking off the bags that contained Zorro's things, he headed back inside his great aunt's house. One of her maids showed him to the room he'd be staying for the night, and after he put down his bags, he followed her back to where his aunt was waiting.

She was sitting in the _sala_ , with a pitcher of lemonade next to her on a table. "You must be thirsty. Have something to drink and tell me why you're in such a hurry to go to such a place as the Devil's Fortress."

Diego poured out a glass for each of them and sat back in the chair. "Do you remember Señor Escalante who used to run the tavern in Los Angeles?"

The old woman looked thoughtful as she pulled the details from her capacious memory. "Yes, his wife was shot for helping a wounded revolutionary, and he (and his sons) ran off in a fit of temper to play soldier, leaving a fifteen-year-old daughter in charge of the tavern. I thought he was killed in Mexico."

Diego was a bit shocked by his aunt's description though his thoughts weren't that dissimilar to hers. "Well, it seems he was captured instead of killed and ended up in the Devil's Fortress. Vict— Señorita Escalante received a letter from a man who says he was imprisoned there with him, and that he's very ill."

"I can see why you're in a hurry then. It is an evil place in the best of times, and no place for a sick man." Catalina shook her head sadly. "I wish I had some information to help you on your way, but I know very little about the Devil's Fortress beyond its reputation. I'm not even sure who is in command there. Your cousin Sebastian would perhaps know more, but he's in San Diego."

"I'll just have to do the best I can, Aunt Catalina. There's really no time to plan anything."

Just then Dolores came out to announce supper was ready. Diego escorted his great aunt to the table. After she'd settled in her place, she said, "Tell me about Señorita Escalante. The last time I saw her was before you left for Madrid. I remember her being a pretty little thing then. Did she inherit the Escalante temper as well as the tavern?"

Diego searched for a diplomatic answer that wouldn't give away too much. "Well, she's certainly not shy about expressing her feelings when outraged."

His aunt nodded. "I thought as much. The only thing I've known to be stronger than the de la Vega temper was the Escalante one." She looked at Diego. "You seemed to have been spared that particular trait."

"Oh, I'm not without a temper, Aunt Catalina," he replied evenly.

"That's very true, but you've always been able to control it much better than most of the de la Vegas. You take after your mother in that sense. I remember when you were young, visiting your cousins here, you often seemed to me to be a fox surrounded by a pack of lions."

Diego had just taken a sip of water and almost choked on it. He coughed, trying to clear his throat.

"What's the matter, young man? I'm sure you remember the old saying (your mother was fond enough of it): 'When you cannot clothe yourself in the skin of a lion put on that of a fox.' You were always cleverer than your cousins who seemed to think that a loud voice and assured manner would win the day. Of course, now that you've grown so tall, you more resemble a lion than a fox, but from what I hear, you're still clever, though perhaps more fond of peace than your father likes."

Diego eyed his aunt suspiciously. She'd always had a reputation for knowing everything about the family, even what they didn't want her to find out about, and he knew his father kept her abreast of most of the news from Los Angeles, so she must have heard about Zorro. However, he couldn't tell if she made that comparison innocently or with malice aforethought, and he certainly wasn't about to ask her.

"It is true," he said with a forced calm, "that Los Angeles is not really a peaceful town, but we do our best to take things as they come."

"I imagine you do," his great aunt said dryly. "Now tell me more about Señorita Escalante, most importantly why you haven't married her yet."

At least this time, he anticipated that she'd say something shocking and hadn't tried to eat or drink anything, but he still hadn't expected that.

"I... I... don't know..."

"Oh, don't pretend not to understand. You're not fooling your old aunt. You're a compassionate soul, but I don't think you'd be rushing off in such a hurry if you weren't in love with the girl. I know your father's been at you to marry since you've gotten home, so what's been holding you back. If you've picked up old-world notions about class distinctions, I'm going to have to disown you and have a nasty talk with your father."

Diego shook his head; he was starting to believe the rumors that she had second sight. "It's not that, Aunt."

"Then what?" she asked, not to be put off.

Sighing, he said carefully, "Well, until very recently, she's seemed to only have eyes for the hero of the pueblo. I'm afraid I don't qualify as very dashing competition."

"Well, you know there's nothing noble in not making an effort," his great aunt said.

"I'll keep that under advisement, Aunt Catalina," he replied dryly.

After that the conversation drifted to more general topics. She told him the best route south. He told her about his father's recent injuries and how he was recovering. After they finished eating, he said good night to her, since he planned to leave quite early.

It was just before dawn when he went down to the stables and found Roberto leading out a still disguised Toronado outside, ready for the journey. Diego made sure everything was securely in place before mounting Toronado and continuing south towards his destination.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria had spent a restless night. She wasn't sure what the alcalde was up to, but she knew that it couldn't be good. Why hadn't she insisted on going with Diego? But then if she had she wouldn't know about the alcalde's trip. When she got up, she learned that Mendoza and the alcalde had left at dawn. Depending on when Diego stopped for the night and when he started again, they might only be half a day behind him. At least, she'd managed to find out from Felipe that they'd disguised Toronado, but that certainly didn't eliminate Diego's danger. And there was her father. What if he was too ill to be moved? She might never have a chance to see him at all.

Finally, deciding that she couldn't just sit back and wait any longer, Victoria got together all the things she needed for the trip south. Going downstairs, Victoria went to the kitchen to tell her helpers where she was going and what she wanted them to do while she was away. She also gave them a note to send to Don Alejandro telling him where she was going. While she knew that he wouldn't be able to come into town for a bit longer, she knew that he'd still find a way to keep an eye on things. She was actually grateful that Don Alejandro couldn't come to town as she was sure that he'd try to dissuade her from going.

However, she wasn't going to let any thought of danger keep her away from the man she loved or the possibility of seeing her father again. Once she started out of town, she figured that it wouldn't be too difficult to catch up with the alcalde and Mendoza, as they wouldn't be feeling the same urgency she did. And once she had caught up with them, she would certainly do her best to find a way to keep the alcalde from whatever nefarious deed he had planned under the guise of helping her.

She rode out of Los Angeles with a fire in her eyes and determination in her heart.


	3. There and Back Again (The Devil's Fortress) Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion of "The Devil's Fortress."

Three days after he left Los Angeles, Zorro was pursuing Luis Ramone through the interior of the Devil's Fortress, wondering at how he'd gotten to this point. His bad luck seemed all to have started with his rescue of Rosalinda de la Fuente from bandits. Who would have thought that something so simple as accepting a handkerchief would have gotten him into so much trouble? When it came to women he was always a bit too trusting and too polite. But why should he suspect her of wanting to capture Zorro? Even if he'd known Señorita de la Fuente was the daughter of the commandant of Devil's Fortress, he wouldn't have suspected her of being so ungrateful as to try to have him arrested when they met again when he wasn't wearing a mask. It was lucky that despite that overly trusting quality he always maintained an extra bit of caution and had used an alias, otherwise he'd be finished as Diego de la Vega. At least now, she only knew him as Salvador Guillaranz.

Once he escaped that trap, he knew there was no hope of accomplishing his mission except as Zorro. His one piece of good fortune had been in running into Victoria's brother Ramón who'd received his letter while on the way back to Mexico. Considering the heavy guard around the Fortress, he was grateful for an ally, especially one who could gather supplies without drawing undue attention to himself. Between the two of them they'd managed to make their way inside the Fortress and down to its dungeons, where to his surprise he saw the end of a fight between Victoria and the commandant's daughter. He barely had time to wonder how she'd gotten there before he was busy fighting again and had a smaller surprise in meeting up with Sergeant Mendoza who he'd sent to free the prisoners and protect Victoria.

He'd ended up fighting with the commandant, whose skill was very unequal to his, so it was easy enough to keep him distracted from the prison break. He toyed with him, until he saw Victoria appeared at the head of the group carrying her father's body. Then he knew it was time to finish the fight and disarmed him for the last time. The man seemed to expect to be killed, welcomed it in fact, but Zorro wasn't about to oblige him, especially since for a man like de la Fuente being left alive would be a far worse fate. Instead he slashed a _Z_ into the commandant's uniform before punching him and knocking him to the floor.

It was after that that he'd seen Rosalinda standing above looking down at the scene, and it was then he'd in an almost petty humor had tossed the perfumed handkerchief that she'd given him on the floor, even though he knew he'd end up having to explain that to Victoria later. It was the next events that left him in stunned horror and confusion and led to this chase through the Fortress.

They'd all started to leave. His "business" with the commandant and his daughter finished, he'd ignored them. It had been foolish. He'd only realized that Rosalinda had a pistol when he heard her father command her to kill him. Even then he hadn't been too worried about being hit; his main concern was protecting Victoria. Then he got his final surprise when Luis Ramone appeared out of nowhere, an almost mad look in his eyes, as he approached Rosalinda. The two had struggled for the pistol, before Rosalinda ended up falling over the edge of the balcony to land with a horrifying thud on the floor.

When he'd looked up from the scene, he had seen Ramone staring back down, seeming even more deranged than before, a rolled document sticking out from inside his coat. Then he disappeared from sight. It was at this point that Zorro had begun his pursuit. It had been when he'd discovered that the door to the deed room had been forced, that he'd realized why Ramone had made the journey to the Devil's Fortress— he wanted to get his hands on someone's land grant. Determined to prevent the alcalde from succeeding in his scheme, Zorro followed him up the stairs.

Exiting cautiously onto the roof, Zorro spotted a gloved hand clinging to the outside of a decorative stone spire. How did the alcalde think he was going to climb down the outside of the fortress? Even he wouldn't attempt it without a rope. Zorro couldn't resist smirking as he watched Ramone try to pull himself back over the parapet, and the shocked look when he spotted his nemesis was priceless to behold.

"Just get out of here!" Ramone said, before slipping a bit. "If you're not going to help, just stay away, Zorro."

Having Ramone trapped for the moment, Zorro smiled and said, "Buenos días, Alcalde." Ramone simply stared back at him. Zorro kept his voice low and sinister. "The document."

With a ridiculous confidence, considering his precarious position, Ramone refused. "Never."

"Never may be sooner than you think." In order to demonstrate more fully, Zorro smacked one hand and then the other with his saber. Not enough to make him fully lose balance, just enough to encourage compliance.

Finally, Ramone gave in and said, "All right! All right! Help me, and I'll give you the document."

Zorro couldn't believe that Ramone thought he'd be that gullible. "You haven't been paying attention, Alcalde. The document first."

Resigned, Ramone nodded and carefully reached into his jacket to pull out the rolled paper, clinging to the stone as he did so. Zorro moved forward to take the document, confident that the alcalde was in no position to make trouble, which is why he was unprepared when Ramone yanked off his hat and mask with his other hand.

For a moment the two stared at each other, before Ramone said in a tone of disbelief, "De la Vega?" His hold too precarious with the mask and hat in one hand and the document in another, the alcalde slipped from the wall, while Diego watched in horror, unable to do anything to stop it. As he fell, Ramone exclaimed, "Nooo! I should have known!"

Diego looked over the parapet, stunned by the turn of events. This shouldn't have happened. He should have done something to prevent it. And now he had to find a way down to get his mask back without being seen. Fortunately, the Fortress now seemed to be deserted, and it wasn't difficult to make his way to a lower window unseen. Easily making the climb down, Diego managed to make his way to where Ramone's body lay on the ground. He stared at him for a long moment. All this time and he was gone just like that.

Forcing himself to move, Diego picked up his hat and mask from the ground and then pulled the document from the alcalde's hand. He could hear people approaching, so quickly he replaced the mask. Through the gap in the hedge he could see a group of people walking past, including Victoria and her brother and Mendoza. Still shaken, he waited until they were past before stepping out, placing his hat back on his head.

Deciding to take a moment to see just what it was that the alcalde had been so determined to steal, Zorro pulled off the ribbon and unrolled the parchment. He was actually shocked to discover that the alcalde had taken the record of the king's deed of gift to his grandfather Sebastian. He had been trying to get hold of the de la Vega lands. While this was not the only copy of the deed of gift, it was the primary one, and its loss would make it very difficult for the family to retain control of the property. Deciding he could best keep it safe back home, Zorro concealed it inside his shirt, before following the group carrying Victoria's father.

Coming up to the group he quietly took the place of one of the men carrying the stretcher as they walked towards the mission visible in the distance. No one said a word until after they reached the mission grounds, where the priests were coming out to aid the injured. The stretcher was carefully placed on the ground near the church. Zorro reflected that Alfonso Escalante was beyond the need of any help they could provide. As the escaped prisoners moved away leaving the Escalantes, Mendoza and Zorro alone, it was Mendoza who managed to speak first.

"Uh, Zorro," he said hesitantly. "I don't like to ask, but do you know where the alcalde is? I don't think he's going to like..."

"Sergeant," Zorro interrupted, a little more forcefully than he liked. "I'm sorry, but the alcalde..." He had to pause a moment before trying again. "The alcalde... while trying to climb down from the roof of the Fortress... he fell. I'm afraid he's dead." He could feel Victoria's eyes on him, though he kept focused.

" _Madre de Dios_!" Mendoza exclaimed, crossing himself. "What am I going to do?"

"I imagine you'll need to report his death to the nearby garrison. While they are going to be rather occupied by this mass escape, I'm sure they'll be able to dispatch a message to the governor," Zorro replied calmly.

"Sí, you're right, and I'm going to have to get the alcalde's body. _Madre de Dios_ , this changes everything," Mendoza said, looking unsure.

"It certainly might," Victoria said, thoughtfully. She glanced at Zorro for a moment before letting her gaze fall back down to her father.

"I'm sorry," Zorro said softly.

"At least we got a chance to say good-bye to him," she said.

Ramón looked at Zorro. "I don't think you're going to want to stay much longer."

"No, you're right. I'll draw a little too much attention once the authorities start regrouping."

"That could be a while, Zorro," Mendoza said. "They were pretty well scattered."

Looking at his sister, Ramón said, "It might be a good idea for you to leave, too, Victoria. I can handle our father's burial."

"But..."

"You were there when everything happened, and you're not exactly inconspicuous. I don't think any one will notice a son who's just come in time to bury his father."

"Sí, Señorita Victoria," Mendoza added his agreement. "It would be safer for you to travel now. Things could get ugly in the next day or so."

Victoria looked at Zorro for a moment. "I'm sure Diego will get here soon. I could always travel back with him."

Zorro had to repress a sigh. It would not be a good idea for Diego to show up. Rosalinda de la Fuente might be dead, but if any of the soldiers who had arrested "Salvador Guilleranz" saw Diego, it might turn dangerous even more quickly. And Ramón and Mendoza were right; Victoria would be much safer leaving with him now.

He cleared his throat and hoped that Victoria would understand the underlying meaning of what he said. "About Don Diego," he said. "I ran into him after a rather unfortunate encounter with the commandant's daughter and suggested that since I'd stirred things up, that it might be better if he let me continue alone. It no longer seemed to be a job for diplomacy." He paused for a moment to try to figure out what was the best way to deal with the situation.

"Then he's not too far away," Victoria interjected. "I know he wouldn't have started back home without knowing what happened."

"Sí. I can escort you to him, Señorita," Zorro said carefully. "He'd certainly be a less conspicuous traveling companion than I would."

Victoria didn't seem entirely sure. "Ramón, I should..."

"I'll make sure it's properly done," her brother insisted.

She finally agreed. Zorro turned to Mendoza. "We're going to need to get your horses." He looked at Victoria. "Is there anything of yours left in the Fortress?"

She thought for a moment. "I left my coat in one of the guest rooms." She described the location quickly.

Zorro nodded. "I'll get that while Sergeant Mendoza gets the horses. Stay here with your brother and talk to the priests. We'll be back soon. Come on, Sergeant," Zorro said commandingly.

Mendoza just nodded and followed him. They returned to the Fortress in silence. As they neared the stables, Mendoza turned to Zorro hesitatingly. "Uh, Zorro, I was wondering. Señorita de la Fuente— did she really know your name?"

Zorro glanced at him. "No, Sergeant. She _didn't_ know my name."

Mendoza looked very relieved. Zorro could only guess that Señorita de la Fuente had told the alcalde the name he'd given her. Again, he was grateful for the caution that had prompted him to give a false name when he'd approached her unmasked.

They parted at the stables, and Zorro made his way back inside the Fortress for the last time. It seemed quite deserted now, but he continued to move cautiously, as he had no desire to meet any stray soldiers or the now disgraced commandant. It didn't take him too long to find the room that Victoria had been in or to grab her coat. He looked around to make sure there was nothing else. Looking outside, he realized it would be easy enough to scale down that way, so he did, while pushing away thoughts of the alcalde's fall. He still hadn't absorbed the fact that Luis Ramone was gone.

Zorro made his way back to the mission and found that Mendoza had already made his way back with the horses. He must have taken longer than he thought. Alfonso's body had been moved, and Ramón and Victoria weren't visible at the moment. He took the opportunity to tell Mendoza where he could find the alcalde's body, and Mendoza went off to find some men to help him retrieve it. As he moved away, he saw Victoria and Ramón exiting the mission. Ramón was talking with a priest.

Victoria walked quickly towards Zorro, who handed her jacket. Shrugging into it, she asked, "Do you really think it's too dangerous for Diego to come here?"

"I'm afraid so. There are guards who might recognize him under another name."

"I see," she replied. "But Diego will be the one riding with me, won't he?"

"Oh, most definitely. It's the least he can do all things considered..."

Ramón had finished talking to the priest and walked up to them. Victoria hugged him. "Is everything arranged?" she asked.

"Sí, there's nothing to worry about. It will all be done properly."

"I wish we could take him home," she said sadly.

"So do I, but this is best," Ramón replied.

"I know."

Ramón reached out a hand to Zorro, who shook it cordially. "Watch out for my sister, and tell Don Diego to do the same. I'm holding you both responsible."

Victoria interrupted. "Ramón, stop that. I've already told you I can look after myself. I have for years."

"I still worry, Victoria," he replied, giving her another hug.

"And I love you; don't worry. Now take care, and write me."

"I will," Ramón said. But he still directed a sharp look at Zorro before walking back towards the mission.

She looked at Zorro. "I suppose we should be leaving. Where's Toronado?"

"Not far away," he said. "Within walking distance, if you don't mind."

"I don't," she said.

Without another word, he took the reins of her horse, and they started walking away from the mission and the Fortress. It wasn't too long before they reached a small grove of trees. Zorro whistled, and in a few moments, Toronado appeared. Victoria smiled at the white forelock.

"Felipe's idea," he said. "We didn't want him to be recognized." He looked around carefully. There was no one on the road near them, and the trees were close enough that they blocked any view from the Fortress. He pulled his other clothes from Toronado's saddlebags. "I think it's time for Zorro to take his leave."

Victoria looked at him with a sly smile; for the first time since she'd seen him in the Fortress, she felt like teasing him. "Don't let me stop you."

He glared at her for a moment before disappearing behind some bushes. More quickly than she thought possible, he reappeared fully changed, carrying Zorro's clothes.

"How do you do that?" she asked.

"Practice," he replied, as he started packing Zorro's things away. "More than I've liked, in fact." He also slipped the parchment into the bag.

Once he finished, Diego turned around to see Victoria standing quite close to him. He stared at her for a long moment before reaching out to hug her very tightly. Relieved when she returned his embrace, he placed a light kiss on the top of her head. He felt as if he should apologize for failing her. He should have brought her with him in the first place. She shouldn't have had to follow him. He should have been more cautious. The alcalde should never have been in a position to unmask him at all. He shook his head to try to clear it. They needed to move on quickly while it was still light if they wanted to get past the furthest of the patrols before either they learned what had happened at the Fortress or it got too dark to travel safely.

Gently releasing her, Diego said reluctantly, "We can't afford to wait any longer. I'd feel better if we're a lot farther north before nightfall."

Victoria looked up at him with an odd expression, but all she said was "Let's go." She mounted her horse as Diego mounted Toronado.

As they rode, Victoria watched Diego out of the corner of her eye. Something was bothering him, and she wondered if it had to do with the alcalde's death. While she believed the fall was an accident, she felt that there was something more to the story, but she would wait until they stopped for the evening. This was not a conversation she wanted to tackle on horseback, not when he needed to concentrate on making sure they stayed out of trouble.

It was late in the day before they were past the range of the perimeter patrols, and Diego had taken several detours to keep them unseen. Victoria was amazed with his skill in navigating previously unfamiliar territory. She was still getting used to seeing the true Diego. Stopping at a junction, Diego turned to her.

"We have a couple of options for where we can spend the night. If we keep this way, we should reach the next pueblo shortly after sunset. However, in the unlikely event someone is following us, they'd probably expect us to stop there, and it will make the trip back a bit longer."

"And the other option?" Victoria asked.

He looked a bit hesitant. "If you don't mind camping, we can head more directly north this way, and there's a small cave we can use for shelter. I spotted it on the way down."

"Of course," Victoria said with a smile. "You know, Diego, if I didn't know your secret, I might wonder why such a studious caballero would have such a wide knowledge of abandoned windmills and empty caves."

"Admittedly, it comes in handier for Zorro, but I can think of several good reasons why a knowledge of the territory would come in handy even for a scholarly man."

"I'm sure you can," Victoria said in a light voice. "I can also think of several bad reasons why the son of a caballero would want to know the locations of lonely refuges."

"Victoria, you don't think..."

"Of course not, I know you too well. But I take it you'd prefer the more northerly route."

"Well, it would be faster, but after trapping you in an abandoned windmill when you wanted to stay in Santa Paula, I thought this time you should choose."

"Oh, let's take the cave. The sooner we get back the better, and I rather liked the windmill."

He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "If you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure. What's the matter?" she asked.

"It's just that we're traveling alone— again," he said. "I'm afraid that sooner or later there's going to be gossip. I don't want to do that to you."

She smiled at him. "Don't be silly. We're not traveling alone."

"No?" he asked.

"No," she replied, holding up her fingers as she spoke. "There's you. There's me. There's Zorro. And..." she paused. "Salvador Guillaranz. So no one's going to think anything scandalous about such a crowd. Now let's go."

Diego sighed before urging Toronado forward. Victoria rode beside him as they headed away from the road. Now that he didn't have to exercise quite so much caution, Victoria wanted to get a few answers.

"So, Diego, when do I get to find out precisely what happened with Zorro and the commandant's daughter and Salvador Guilleranz? What did that handkerchief have to do with any of it?" Victoria asked, calmly, despite the fact she felt like she should be annoyed with him.

He was silent for a long moment. "It's a bit embarrassing, but I'll tell you." So he told her the story about rescuing Rosalinda de la Fuente from bandits and her giving Zorro a scented handkerchief which gave him away after he came back unmasked to help her.

Victoria shook her head a little disbelievingly. "Diego, you are far too trusting when it comes to women," she finally said.

"I may be trusting, but I'm still cautious."

"Which explains Salvador Guilleranz. But still— taking the handkerchief?"

He squirmed a little. "I was trying to be courteous."

"And that courtesy nearly did you in. Next time..."

"There may not be a next time."

She sat up a bit in her saddle. "That's true. If we get a good alcalde..."

"Zorro may finally be able to just disappear," Diego said.

"And there wouldn't be any need for you to pretend any more."

"I'd still rather change gradually, but no, I don't think I would." He went quiet as if lost in thought.

Victoria wanted to ask about the alcalde but decided to wait. They rode on in silence again. It was close to dark when they arrived at the cave he mentioned. It wasn't very large but it offered a little protection from the elements. She was glad though that the sky was clear, and the weather wasn't too cold. Diego set about gathering wood for a fire, while Victoria got some food out of the saddle bags.

After they'd eaten, they both were sitting leaning against a cave wall, watching the fire. Glancing at Diego from the corner of her eye, Victoria finally decided to ask the question. "Diego, what really happened with the alcalde? I know it was an accident, but there was something more to it, wasn't there?"

He looked at her, a guilty expression on his face. "I'm afraid so," he said reluctantly. "It really was an accident; he had been trying to climb down from the roof. I don't know why he was trying to get down that way. He didn't have the skill, and he was trying to get back up. I'd figured out that he'd stolen something from the deed room and was insisting he give it to me before I'd help him back up. He'd agreed, reluctantly, and when I went to take it from him, he... he..." Diego forced himself to continue speaking. "He snatched my hat and mask instead."

"Dios, no!" Victoria exclaimed.

"Yes, and because he had the document in one hand and those in the other, he lost balance and fell. I tried... but I was too slow to be able to stop his fall," Diego said, and then slowly in a softer voice, "Maybe I was too afraid to try to help. After all, he'd seen my face and knew who I really was."

Victoria put her arms around him comfortingly. "Diego, I know you. You'd never deliberately let someone die. The alcalde was responsible for his own fate." She kissed his forehead.

Diego returned her embrace. "I know you're right, but I wish I'd done things differently. I certainly should have brought you with me; if you hadn't come on your own..." He looked at her. "Or was it with the alcalde and Mendoza?"

Victoria leaned against him. "After you'd left, the alcalde said he was going to 'intercede' for my father. I didn't know what he was really up to or what might happen if you met along the way, and I couldn't just stay away. I caught up with them on the road south. And I don't want to talk about the trip; I would have preferred being in the company of a rattlesnake. Mendoza's the one you should pity though; he was the one stuck in the middle."

"I'm sorry, Querida," he said softly but with a trace of humor. "I should have thought this through more carefully."

"Oh, Diego, you can't anticipate everything, even if you are Zorro," Victoria said. "It all worked out in the end, and that's the important thing."

"I suppose it is," he replied. He caressed her cheek with one hand. "And I think we'd better get some sleep. If we get an early enough start in the morning, we might just make my great aunt Catalina's hacienda by tomorrow night." He stood up.

"And actually have somewhere comfortable to sleep? That would certainly be a change for us," Victoria said teasingly, standing up as well.

"Well, I don't like being too predictable," he replied. "Good night, Victoria."

He leaned down to kiss her cheek. Before he could straighten back up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Good night, Diego," she replied.

He looked at her for a moment before moving over to his place on the other side of the fire. Tired from the day's events, he was soon asleep.

Much later, he awoke with a start. He'd been dreaming of the Devil's Fortress, but instead of the alcalde he'd been the one who'd fallen. As he lay trying to catch his breath, he could hear a soft sound near by. After a few moments, he realized that it was Victoria crying. He sat up and moved over to where she lay near the far wall.

"Victoria?" he spoke quietly as he gently touched her shoulder.

Pushing herself up, wiping her face, Victoria said, "I'm sorry, Diego. I didn't mean to wake you. Please go back to sleep."

"You didn't wake me. What's wrong, Querida?" Diego said, pulling her into a gentle embrace, softly stroking her hair.

She didn't say anything for a while. When she finally spoke, it was so softly he could just make out what she was saying. "My father. All this time I thought he was dead. I should have realized, should have found him, done something. He shouldn't have died there."

Diego held her tighter. "Oh, Querida, There was no way for you to know, and once you did, you did everything you could. You were there for him in the end. No one could ask for a better or more dutiful daughter." He kept to himself the gloomy thoughts that even if she had known, things would probably have ended no better and possibly worse. There was no point in that.

She didn't say anything more, just hid her face in his shirt. As he held her, he tried not to think about how much he wished he had the right to hold her all the time or how very alone they were. Very soon, he could tell that Victoria had fallen back asleep. Not wanting to risk waking her, he settled back, planning to wait a few minutes before trying to move back to his blanket.

The first light of dawn hit his eyes, and Diego woke up disoriented. It took him a moment to realize where he was. Victoria lifted her head sleepily at his movement.

"Oh," she said quietly, sitting up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep like that."

"I didn't either," he said trying work out the stiffness in his shoulders. "I suppose we should get started."

Victoria sighed. "Yes, we should. This really is starting to become a habit for us." She stood up and started gathering the blankets.

"I think it's one I'd like to break," Diego said wryly as he made sure the fire was out.

"I don't know," Victoria said, flirtatiously. "I'd rather like to be able to make sleeping in your arms a habit."

He smiled back at her. "I'd like that too and soon, I hope."

It wasn't too long before they were riding back north. Now being more familiar with the territory, Diego found the return trip went faster, and it was certainly more pleasant with Victoria by his side. He found it almost ironic that they ended up arriving at his great aunt's hacienda not that much later in the day as he had on the way down.

This time though he found Roberto outside with one of his grandsons almost as if they'd been waiting for them, and when he greeted them, Diego found out it was close to the truth. "Doña Catalina thought you might return either this evening or tomorrow." Roberto looked at Toronado. "I wanted to be prepared. I expect they've had a hard day."

"Thank you," Diego said.

Roberto took charge of Toronado, while his grandson took charge of Victoria's horse, leaving Diego and Victoria to go to the hacienda. Doña Catalina was waiting in the _sala_. She greeted them both warmly.

"Diego. Señorita Escalante, this is an unexpected pleasure. It looks like you two have had a tiring day."

"It was a long one, but the thought of reaching you, Aunt Catalina, made it worthwhile."

"Flatterer. But I imagine that what you would like, Señorita Escalante, is the chance to wash away the dust of travel."

Victoria smiled a little uncertainly. "I don't want to be a bother, Doña Catalina."

"Nonsense. You're no bother at all. You can borrow some of my granddaughter's things. Just let me tell the servants." Diego's great aunt left the room.

"I did promise you a comfortable place to sleep," Diego said.

"Yes, you did," Victoria replied. "And after today's ride, I am glad of it."

"I am too."

They stood a little apart. Diego almost reached out to take Victoria's hand but resisted as he was unsure when his aunt would return. Everything seemed so awkward again now that they weren't alone. He hoped that it wouldn't be much longer before he wouldn't have to pretend at all.

Victoria looked up at him curiously and seemed about to say something, when Doña Catalina reentered back into the room, followed by a maid.

"Señorita Escalante, Juanita will show you to your room. I hope you'll find everything you need, but if not, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thank you. You're too kind. Good night, Doña Catalina." Victoria looked at Diego for a moment. "Good night, Don Diego."

Diego took her hand for a moment. "Good night, Señorita Victoria," he said politely, hating how formal he sounded.

Victoria smiled at him slightly before leaving the room. Diego looked at his great aunt, who had a curious look in her eyes, but she didn't say anything until she'd sat down in a chair.

"Now, dear nephew, tell me what happened. You returned very quickly, which I expect means that your errand did not end well, and you brought Señorita Escalante with you, which was also unexpected as you certainly implied she was staying behind. I want to know if there was any trouble."

Diego sighed as he took a seat near her, trying to figure out what exactly he could or should tell her. He finally decided to keep it as brief as possible. "Apparently the alcalde of Los Angeles decided to go after I left and Victoria got worried and followed me separately, and it was a good thing she did as that meant she did get to see her father before he died. She and her brother Ramón were with him in the end. Ramón stayed behind to handle the burial. And in the course of everything there was a mass escape of prisoners from Devil's Fortress and the alcalde fell to his death, both of which might be blamed on Zorro who also happened to be there. It seemed best to head back to Los Angeles as quickly as possible."

"I see," his great aunt said in a tone that indicated that she understood more than what he was saying. "I think you were wise to be in a hurry."

"You seemed to expect it, at least Roberto says you did."

"Well, though I didn't want to say it at the time, I thought it was more probable that you would not find Señor Escalante there alive, and in that case you'd want to return as quickly as possible to Señorita Escalante," she said, evenly. "I am glad that she was able to say good-bye to her father. I'm sure that was a comfort to her." She leaned back in her chair for a moment, then turned towards Diego. "Do you expect any of the troubles at the Fortress to follow you back to Los Angeles? If so, I am certainly willing to say that you and Señorita Escalante have spent the last several days here. And no one here would contradict me."

"Thank you, Aunt Catalina, but I don't think we'll need you to lie for us. At least, I hope not," Diego said a bit uncertainly.

"I will if it's necessary," she said. Then she looked at him closely. "You're looking very tired, Diego. Go get some rest; it's the same room as before. I hope you don't intend to leave too early tomorrow because I expect to see the two of you at breakfast."

"As you wish, Aunt Catalina," Diego said, standing up tiredly. "Good night and I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, young man," his aunt said with a smile.

Diego made his way to the guest room, wondering vaguely which room Victoria had been given. He hadn't dared asked his aunt, and he wasn't going to go looking for her. Not now. She'd probably been given one of the rooms near his aunt's. He sighed a little, regretting the awkwardness of their parting. Perhaps soon...

As he entered his room, he was struck with the thought that his aunt hadn't asked a single question about Zorro. More than ever, he wondered just what his aunt might suspect. He knew that she would never do anything to harm him, but he wasn't about to give away his secret willingly to yet another person. Too tired to want to worry about this anymore, Diego decided to try to get some sleep.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria woke up early the next morning, feeling much refreshed. It had been a relief to sleep in such a comfortable bed after the long trip down and back. It was amazing that she'd slept so well, considering that she was worried a bit about Diego. She knew he was still feeling guilty about the death of the alcalde, even though it wasn't his fault. On the other hand, all _she_ felt was relief that the tyrant of the pueblo was gone and a hope for a future with justice in Los Angeles.

Oh, if Zorro could finally fade away and Diego could stop pretending to be less than what he was. On the ride back, Victoria had finally gotten a chance to start getting to know Diego as he really was, and it had finally hit her that it was the disguise he wore as Diego that caused him the most difficulty. She winced as she remembered times when she must have hurt him without meaning to, and she knew that he felt the barbs of his father's disappointment as well. While Alejandro was never deliberately cruel and in fact often seemed to try to suppress his irritation, Victoria knew that Diego was still hurt by it. It was the main reason she wanted Diego to tell his father the truth.

But Diego was so insistent about keeping the secret until Zorro was no longer needed. She knew he wouldn't have told her if she hadn't figured it out for herself. Even now she could tell he was still uncomfortable with trying to balance their private and public relationship. That awkward parting last night in front of his great aunt. She was looking forward to not having to hide her feelings or having to worry about acting a part.

As hopeful as she was feeling at the moment, Victoria knew that they could just as easily get another bad alcalde as a good one. But at least there would be a respite, and during that time some things could be changed, if she could only convince Diego of that. It was strange to realize that he could be more stubborn than she was. He'd done such a good job pretending to be mild-mannered and malleable that she'd managed to overlook that fact.

Finally, Victoria got out of bed. She knew they would be starting back for Los Angeles sometime later in the morning. However, Diego hadn't been clear about the time. Getting back into her traveling clothes, Victoria debated for a moment what she should do. She decided to go to the _sala_.

The hacienda was relatively quiet. She could hear the sounds of people moving around, but she didn't actually see anyone as she entered the _sala_ , which was why she was surprised to hear Doña Catalina's voice from the corner of the room.

"Good morning, Señorita Escalante," she said. She was sitting on the sofa near a window, a book in her lap.

"Good morning, Doña Catalina," Victoria said. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Nonsense. Please sit down. I could use the company," Diego's aunt said, putting her book down on the table beside her, as Victoria hesitantly sat down in a nearby chair. "Wakefulness is a blessing and a curse of age. More time to do and think but also more time to miss those who've gone before us. It is on days like today that I most feel the absence of my dear Everardo." She sighed before turning to look at Victoria. "I'm sorry about your father, señorita. I remember him. A good man always ready to fight for what he believed in."

"Gracias, Doña Catalina," Victoria said a little sadly.

She didn't know what to say. Her feelings were still in a jumble of sorrow, guilt, and even anger. For so long she had thought her father dead and that she'd cried all her tears for him, only to lose him a second time, and she couldn't even stay to see him buried. And on top of that, there was the death of the alcalde that could mean a brighter future. It was too much to figure out at once.

Doña Catalina reached out a hand to touch her arm gently. "There's no need to say anything at all." She sat back and changing the subject said, "I hope you slept well."

"Yes, very well, gracias."

"I'm glad. I know you've got a long day's travel today, though I suspect not nearly as long as you rode yesterday."

At this moment, Diego made his appearance. "Good morning, Aunt Catalina," he said.

"Ah, Diego, right on time," the old woman said cheerfully. "Though I think your father would be surprised. He seems to think you're a late riser. At least according to his letters."

Diego gave her a crooked smile. "Well, we would like to be back in Los Angeles before dark, and I know you're an early riser." He looked at Victoria brightly. "Good morning, Señorita."

Victoria smiled at him. "Good morning, Don Diego. I wasn't sure what you had planned. We didn't have time to talk last night. I didn't want you to have to look for me."

Doña Catalina grabbed her cane from beside the sofa. "I'm going to go tell Dolores that we're ready for breakfast."

"I can do that, Aunt Catalina," Diego protested.

"True, but I'd rather do it myself. Dolores is feeling a bit touchy this morning." She pushed herself up and left the room.

Diego quickly crossed the room to Victoria who had stood when Doña Catalina had. He took her hand in his. "Good morning, Querida," he said again. This time he kissed her hand as he would as Zorro.

"That's a change from last night," Victoria said with a slight blush.

"That's why," he said softly. "I'm sorry. This is still new."

"And we still need to be careful. I know," Victoria replied. "It's all right." _For now_ , she thought.

Diego took a step back. He could hear his aunt's cane tapping along the floor. She stopped at the edge of the room. "Come along, you two. I want to be sure you've eaten before you go on your way."

"Yes, Aunt Catalina," Diego said politely offering his arm to Victoria, who took it without comment.

~Z~Z~Z~

By mid-afternoon, Diego and Victoria were nearing Los Angeles, though Diego was taking a slightly round-about route. Reining in, he turned to Victoria.

"I'm going to have to switch horses before any one sees me on Toronado," he said. "Do you want to ride into town alone or come with me?"

Victoria laughed. "You expect me to miss out on seeing where Zorro hides himself?" she asked incredulously. "Besides, Diego de la Vega, Zorro promised you'd see me all the way home, and I don't think you want to make a liar of him."

"No, I don't," Diego replied. "I just wanted to give you the choice."

"Well, now you know," Victoria said. "How much further is it?"

"Actually not much. We could be there in half an hour at this rate."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

It was just over half an hour later when they reached the hidden entrance to the cave. As there wasn't room for all three horses inside the cave, Diego and Victoria dismounted at the entrance. Victoria was a little startled when the door slid open after Diego stepped heavily on the plank.

"It's part of an old escape route from the hacienda," he explained, taking her hand to guide her inside.

After they were all the way inside, Victoria looked around in amazement. "This is part of an escape route?"

"Yes, I think my grandfather wanted not only an escape but a place to take refuge in case of attack."

Victoria walked over to the table that held his scientific equipment. "And this must be where you do your experiments as well. I had wondered."

"Most of them," Diego said. "Especially those most useful to Zorro. There's an old outbuilding where I do some token experiments, mostly so no one wonders where I actually do my work."

"Where do the stairs go?" Victoria asked.

"Up to the fireplace in the library." He crossed the room. "There's a viewing hole to check to see if anyone's there."

"Really?" Victoria went to look. Standing on the step she looked through and saw the library which was empty. "This is truly amazing," she said turning back to Diego. "Almost like something from a fairy tale."

"I must admit it has been something of a refuge for me," Diego said. "It's not just a place to hide Zorro's things, but a place where I can be myself without a disguise."

"That is another thing, Diego," Victoria said somewhat haltingly.

"What is?"

"Your disguise." She took Diego's hand in hers. "I understand your need to keep your secret from your father, but you often make yourself look worse than you need to. Your father loves you very much. Did you ever think that might be hard on him?"

Diego pursed his lips. He was usually so caught up in whatever was happening at the moment that he had not thought about it quite like that before. "I suppose you're right. But... what should I do?"

"For a start, let me be the one to tell your father a version of what happened at Devil's Fortress. I promise it won't give away your secret."

"As my lady wishes," Diego said with a grin as he leaned in to kiss her gently.

"I do wish." Victoria gently stroked Diego's face. "I think you've lost sight of the fact that your father doesn't need to know you're Zorro to know the man you really are."

"You think so?"

Victoria put her arms around Diego and rested her head on his chest. "I do indeed."

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for adding some original characters in Great Aunt Catalina and her family though she's the only one we meet in this story (the others will make appearances later). Normally, I wouldn't have done it, but I wanted to do something a little different with this one and wanted Diego to have a relatively safe place to stop on the way down. I would have used Diego's cousin Rafael if he hadn't lived north rather than south of Los Angeles.
> 
> Next up: "The New Broom."


	4. Here Comes the New Boss... Same as the Old Boss (The New Broom)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new alcalde is in town, and he makes quite the impression on the people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The New Broom" was written by Philip John Taylor.

For Diego, the last two and a half months had been incredibly busy and filled with an uneven mixture of satisfaction and frustration. While his father had been recovering, Diego had by necessity had to do more work around the rancho, as well as taking over the buying trips that his father couldn't do. It was a relief to be able to do the work to his father's satisfaction, as he was tired of disappointing him more than he had to. If it wasn't for the fact that his father still thought he slept too much because he still had to ride as Zorro, Diego would be very happy with how things were going at home.

And that was the major source of his frustration. With the death of the alcalde, Diego had hoped that he'd be able to retire Zorro. However, because of a series of raids by bandits that Mendoza and his lancers had been singularly incompetent in handling, he was spending as much time as ever wearing the mask. Much as he liked Mendoza personally, he wanted to punch him for letting things get into the condition they had. As far as he knew, Mendoza hadn't done nearly so badly when Ramone had been away in Mexico City, and he couldn't understand what had happened to him this time.

Perhaps, the fact that the alcalde was dead and wouldn't come back had somehow led to this particular failure in leadership on Mendoza's part. Diego didn't really care why; all he knew was that he was hoping that no one put together the times that Zorro didn't show up with the times he was out of town. There had been enough flux in the troubles that he thought he should be fine there, but it was still a concern. As it was he just settled for knowing that Victoria and his father were busily expressing their displeasure with Mendoza rather than adding any additional fuel to the fire himself.

Of course, what had frustrated him more than anything was the fact that he'd been hard pressed to get any time with Victoria. Between his work at home, the trips for his father and his rides as Zorro, he'd hardly had any time to call his own. He'd hadn't realized before how much he'd come to rely on those brief moments with her as Zorro, until he had to give them up. He tried telling himself that it was a good thing for Zorro's relationship with Victoria to cool off before he started to show his own romantic interest in her, but it didn't make it any easier. He longed to be able to start courting her openly. But considering that the new alcalde was due within a month, it seemed most prudent to wait to see what kind of a man they got before deciding the best way to proceed with a courtship.

The final bit of aggravation happened just when things had started to even out. His father was healed enough to insist on taking charge again, and the worst of the bandits had been taken care of. Diego finally thought he was going to have enough free time to get back to his experiments and finish his work on a particularly challenging project that he intended as a surprise for Victoria, when he was suddenly hit with the worst cold he'd had for some time. It was worse than the one he had the previous Christmas.

All those times of faking colds and the one time he wanted to be healthy, he found himself confined to bed, feeling absolutely miserable. The first three days were spent miserably coughing and sneezing and sleeping when the medicines he'd been taking actually worked. By the fourth day, he was beginning to feel human again though he ached all over and still had a nasty cough that was being treated by a honey/lemon/rum concoction that Maria the cook swore by. Despite that, he was tired of being in bed, but for once his father was insistent instead of exasperated.

It had been a long morning, and he knew he'd been annoying Felipe with his restlessness. He didn't feel like sleeping the day away, but he didn't feel well enough to read. He'd been staring dully at the ceiling when Felipe returned followed by Victoria, whose smile was enough to brighten his entire day.

"Hola, Diego," she said, coming up to his bed. "I hear you're doing better."

"Much better now," he said, taking hold of her hand and looking longingly into her eyes. He had the feeling Maria had doubled the rum in his cough medicine as he was feeling a bit woozy from his last dose.

Victoria smiled slightly, then in a teasing tone, said, "Felipe tells me you haven't been a very good patient today."

Diego glanced at Felipe who shrugged and gestured as if to say, "It's true."

"I must admit I can think of other things I'd rather be doing than lying here staring at the ceiling all day," he said, still holding her hand.

Victoria blushed a little, and when he realized how his words sounded, Diego blushed a little as well. His head was very fuzzy, and he was disappointed when Victoria pulled her hand away in order to move a chair close to the bed.

"Anyway, I thought I'd give Felipe a reprieve from your bad mood and come sit with you a while," she said as she sat down.

Diego looked at Felipe who signed that he wanted to read before he went and grabbed a book before going to sit in the farthest corner of the room from the bed.

Victoria glanced back at Felipe. "Your father doesn't think it's a good idea for me to be in your room alone, despite your weak condition. So Felipe can get some relaxation, and we can talk. Or I can read to you if you like." She reached out to touch his hand comfortingly

"A little of both would be nice," he said. "You have a very soothing voice. Is there any news of note?" He curled his hand around hers. She had such nice hands.

"I don't know if your father already told you, but the new alcalde is due to arrive in two weeks."

Diego tried to think. His father had said something, but he'd been feeling too fuzzy-headed at the time. "I'm not sure. Do we have a name?"

"I'm afraid not. Mendoza was just notified of the arrival date. Of course, now, Mendoza's managed to start pulling himself together, so on the bright side, there's little danger that Zorro will be needed before our new alcalde arrives," Victoria said.

"That's a comfort."

"I thought it might be," she said and then looking at him more closely. "I don't think this is doing you much good. Would you like me to read to you now?"

Diego really wished he hadn't taken that last dose of medicine. It was making it very difficult to focus on the woman he loved, but at least he wasn't coughing at the moment. "Only if I can still hold your hand."

Victoria stood up and placed a light kiss on his forehead. Her lips felt very cool to him. "I don't suppose that would do any harm," she said with a smile. Looking over at a stack of books on his bedside table, she asked, "Is there any particular one you'd like to hear?"

"No, querida. Pick what you'd like." He didn't think he could do much more than pay attention to the sound of her voice anyway.

Victoria looked over them and picked one that looked interesting. Sitting back in the chair, she opened the book and then reached up to take his hand again. He knew that it was awkward for reading, but he'd missed her too much lately. They'd had so little time alone, and even then they needed to be cautious— he needed to be cautious. He didn't think Victoria had fully realized what a strain on his self-control that night in the windmill had been. It was what had prompted him to be extra careful on the journey back from the Devil's Fortress, considering how alone they had been for the trip.

He looked at her as she started reading, and a mischievous thought came to his mind. After all, at the moment, he was hardly in a condition to more than mildly flirt with her with Felipe sitting across the room and his head woozy from his medicine. However, he wondered exactly what he could do within those boundaries. After all, it had been so much easier to flirt with her when he knew he only had a moment before he had to disappear. There was a certain amount of freedom within limitations. Well, he was holding her hand, and it might be fun to see if he could distract her from her reading, just a little.

Watching her from beneath his eyelashes and only half-listening to what she was reading, he started gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, just barely touching her skin. It was less than half a minute before he heard her catch her breath and stumble slightly in the reading. She darted her eyes upward, while he tried to look innocent. When she went back to reading, he continued lightly caressing her hand. She started hesitating, looking a little flushed as she continued. Finally, she stopped and looked him straight in the eye.

"I thought you wanted me to read to you," she said with a smile.

"I did— I do," he said.

She shifted the chair a little closer to his bed, so she could prop the book on top of the covers. "I'm not sure that you do," she said softly, running her fingers over his hand. "You know that two can play this game."

Diego smiled at her but before he could speak, the opening of the door startled them both. Victoria grabbed the book and sat back in the chair just as Alejandro came around the corner to check on his son. If he thought there was anything suspicious about their behavior, Alejandro didn't say anything. However, he did insist that Diego needed to get some sleep, so they didn't really get another moment alone before she had to leave. Diego reluctantly drifted to sleep, dreaming of a future where she wouldn't have to leave at all.

~Z~Z~Z~

Two weeks later, Diego was driving the carriage to the pueblo to pick up Victoria for his father's party to welcome the new alcalde. He had been a little worried about his father's calculating expression when he told him what he was doing. Of course, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if his father more than suspected his affections for Victoria, but at the moment, he was too nervous about the immediate future to want to deal with the added pressure of his father's opinions on the subject.

He had been quite surprised to discover that Ignacio De Soto was the new alcalde. From what he remembered of him from the university, he would have expected him to have a posting somewhere larger or on a battle front. He'd always seemed ambitious, determined to reach the top in spite of his lack of connections. Diego also remembered that he'd truly loved Madrid; he knew people born there who didn't know it as well as Ignacio. Los Angeles was a far cry from Madrid. Diego wondered if Ignacio had been given or if he'd sought the assignment.

Diego had great hopes either way that Ignacio would do his best for the pueblo. Coming from an unprivileged background, he should have sympathy for the plight of the farmers and peons who'd suffered under Luis Ramone, and correcting that man's mistakes as well as properly running the garrison should be a good way of satisfying his ambitions, whatever they might be. He was sure that Ignacio was a good choice for the pueblo; he just wished he could get rid of the slight feeling of anxiety that was nagging at the back of his head.

It was a relief to arrive at the tavern. Victoria looked beautiful as ever, and it was a pleasure to help her into the carriage and know that for the two mile trip back they would be free to talk to one another without dissembling.

"Did you know our new alcalde well?" was her first question.

"No, not really. He made quite an impression on me." He remembered very well the student that seemed to make it effortlessly through classes, the one who'd thrown himself so enthusiastically into the theatricals, and the one who'd seemed to be more than a little sensitive to his less than privileged background. Fighting down a nagging doubt, Diego said with more enthusiasm than he felt, "He's just what this pueblo needs."

Victoria didn't sound nearly so sure. "I do hope you're right."

Still focusing on the positive, he said, "Well, if I am, tyranny and injustice might be things of the past in Los Angeles."

"And you can finally tell your father what you've been doing," Victoria replied with considerably more enthusiasm.

"And we should be able to convince Felipe that he shouldn't hide the fact that he can hear any longer," he said, thinking about the other important secret, one that he'd been telling Felipe wasn't really necessary even if it had been incredibly helpful.

"He's as stubborn as you are," Victoria said with a smile. "I should be cross that I had to find this out for myself. Neither of you told me."

Diego was a little embarrassed. "It's his secret really. And he already..."

"I know," Victoria interrupted mildly. "Neither of you were very happy when I figured out your secrets."

"When did you find out?" Diego asked. Felipe hadn't mentioned it.

"Your last trip to San Pedro. He slipped up, and I asked," Victoria said. "He did agree to teach me his signs so that we could argue better." She grinned. "It's coming along quite nicely, and it was fun keeping a secret from _you_ for a while."

"Well, if you've won over Felipe, perhaps between the two of us, we can convince him, especially if Zorro can retire."

"Yes, _if_..." Victoria sighed. She looked at Diego nervously. "If he can't, I have to know: is the alcalde at all aware of how well you can fight?"

Diego shook his head. "I don't see how he could be. I'd really only just started with Sir Edmund when he graduated, and I never entered any competitions. I preferred to focus on my studies, and getting a reputation for being a good swordsman would have been too distracting. Most of my more advanced training was private."

"Good," Victoria said, sounding much relieved. "Then we're ready whatever happens." She leaned her head against his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head, wishing the trip was longer or that they could skip the party entirely. He sighed as he saw the hacienda ahead. Well, they did need to get to know how Ignacio planned to handle his new responsibilities before they could make any solid plans for the future.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was two o'clock in the morning when Diego and Felipe slipped down into the cave, and Diego was still furious at De Soto. He'd had such hopes for him, yet he should have realized; he should have paid attention to that feeling of uncertainty. Of all the misinformed, arrogant, ambitious fools. Had De Soto always been this way? Diego now understood that De Soto felt that the quick capture of a notorious bandit was a sure way to promotion to a better command, a larger town.

Damn the man. He could have actually found out whether Zorro was an actual threat before deciding to capture him using such heavy-handed methods of placing all the leading citizens of the community under house arrest in the de la Vega hacienda, just because he suspected them of being possible conspirators with Zorro. And launching his excesses with the damnable declaration of bringing Los Angeles to heel...

Diego was at least grateful that De Soto wasn't as ruthless as Palomarez. He certainly wasn't very clever or politic by immediately alienating the people who could be his best support. Did De Soto really believe that the distance from Madrid would allow him such sweeping powers? There was still authority in California that he'd have to answer to.

But more than anything at the moment, he was glad that he'd managed to get out of the way while his father was managing to figure out how to accommodate everyone at the hacienda, his anger practically a palpable force. Diego wasn't even sure who had been given his room as he'd insisted he'd rather sit up reading. It was the one way he could be sure of keeping the library to himself, and disappearing while everything was being settled kept him from letting his own temper get away from him.

Diego finished changing his clothes, and somehow he'd managed not to kick over anything in his rage as he kept thinking of how tired he was of Zorro. It had been almost three years. Three years of having to defend the people from unjust leaders or bandits because of the failure of leadership. When he started, he never expected that he'd be doing this for years. And now it looked like there was no end in sight if De Soto couldn't be persuaded that doing his duty would be the better choice.

He finally turned to Felipe, who had been staring at him with some concern. "What is it?"

Felipe signed. "You're too angry. It's not safe."

Diego took a deep breath. "You're right. I need to calm down, especially if I'm to give our new alcalde a proper introduction to Zorro. Perhaps, we can convince him that trying to capture Zorro is not an easy step to promotion."

Felipe looked skeptical.

"If nothing else," Diego said, as he started saddling Toronado, "Zorro will make sure he understands that such heavy-handed methods are not going to get the results he wants. Maybe if he gets concerned with how he looks to those higher up, that will keep him in line. I'm sure that Zorro can torment him indefinitely if necessary. Our school days may be over, but I'm not adverse to playing some childish pranks."

Felipe smiled at that. Diego felt calmer now and more in the mood to deal with De Soto. He knew he had a few hours before De Soto would return to the cuartel, and he planned to have a surprise waiting for him.

~Z~Z~Z~

It had always been ridiculously easy to break into the cuartel, and this time was no exception as half the lancers were at his family's hacienda and the other half was busily sleeping. With the shutters closed, it was unlikely that anyone would notice the light, as Zorro spent a little time looking around De Soto's quarters. He glanced at a portrait of Machiavelli on the wall. De Soto's inspiration, perhaps?

De Soto's things had already been unpacked, and Zorro looked through the alcalde's wardrobe with amused contempt. Had De Soto always been so vain about his appearance? He couldn't really remember. Standards in Madrid had been quite different than here in California, and he'd never really paid attention to fashion anyway. The important point was that there was room enough to hide in there when necessary.

His perusal of De Soto's clothes finished, Zorro looked around the room before fastening on the bed as the appropriate thing to booby trap. It really didn't take that long to loosen the fittings sufficiently so that it would collapse the moment anyone tried to sit on it. And once that was accomplished, there was nothing to do but wait. He looked around, since he had no intention of spending the next couple of hours in that stuffy closet.

He saw some books on a table. Glancing at the top one, he saw it was Machiavelli's _The Prince_. So indeed an inspiration. It had been a while since he'd read it. He glanced inside and was appalled to see what a truly dreadful translation it was. Clearly, De Soto had not been joking about cheating, or he never would have been satisfied reading this version. Zorro wondered how he'd managed, without the money or connections for really good bribes. Probably found a scholar more in need than himself. Someone smaller, easily bullied perhaps. His former optimism thoroughly gone, Diego tried to remember more about De Soto.

They really had been only bare acquaintances. Seniors and freshman didn't socialize, and all he could remember from the time in the dramatic society was the relish with which De Soto played Judas. Truly, all Diego seemed to remember were the superficial things students talked about like De Soto's apparently natural talent which had been mentioned along with how amazing his ability was considering his background.

Still frustrated, Zorro tossed the book back on the table and settled back to wait.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego leaned back against the wall and stared up at the sky. The first conflict was over, but he had no illusions that the war had been won. He still wasn't sure if humiliating De Soto so completely was about strategy or anger.

Oh, it had been fun toying with him. The bed had collapsed on cue, and he'd gotten to mock his clothing sense. The fact that De Soto in the ensuing sword fight managed to slice his own beloved painting of Machiavelli had been a delightful bonus. De Soto was a marginally better swordsman than Ramone, but he was no real challenge. Zorro had taken great pleasure in punching him out before tying him and forcing him to ride backwards to the hacienda in order to release the prisoners.

However, Diego was well aware that while personally satisfying, he'd made De Soto more determined to capture Zorro if only to avenge his own humiliation. But at least, De Soto was now aware that his excesses would not go unanswered. Diego had also been careful as himself to point out that an obsession to capture Zorro could just as likely harm his career as help it. With all that, Diego still wasn't sure if there could have been a better way to handle the situation.

"You look very grim, Diego." Victoria's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Shouldn't you be happier? Zorro made our alcalde back down completely, and your home is no longer a prison."

Shaking his head slightly, he looked down at her. He took her hand in his. "I'm sorry, querida. I think it's just disappointment. I was so hoping that things would be different." He sighed. "Well, perhaps they are in a way. Ramone wanted land and influence. De Soto wants to return to Madrid a hero. But it doesn't change the fundamental injustice of it all."

Victoria reached up to caress his face. "I know, mi amor. But we will still fight it the best we can and hope that this tyrant does not last as long. And we can still continue our plans for the future. We can't let this make us lose hope."

Diego let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're right, of course. I'm just afraid that I've made things more difficult. But we will find a way." He leaned down and kissed her.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit I'm not an expert on either the history or geography of the time period, so when in doubt I tend to go with what the show does. So while I find it completely unbelievable that Diego could go to France, conduct his business, have an adventure and be back in California in the space of three months, that's what the show said (and since in "All for One", the alcalde is supposed to be in Mexico City for three months rather than dead, it got moved back before "Devil's Fortress"). So in accordance with that I figure that three months is also long enough for news of Ramone's death to make it to Spain, where a new alcalde could be appointed and have his job taken by De Soto, and for De Soto to arrive in California.
> 
> Also this story was a little more experimental than the other two, and I'm still not sure if worked or not. While I do use a little dialogue from the episode, I didn't use any of the scenes from the episode itself. They're all either before, between, or after scenes. I hope I've managed to get this story makes sense.
> 
> Next up: "A New Lease on Love." Technically speaking the next two episodes in production order were "The Buccaneers" and "A New Beginning." However since the only basic change I saw in them was Zorro being more courteous and less flirtatious (and I found the episodes really annoying), I skipped them. They still happened but are only referred to in passing in the next story.


	5. Love and War (A New Lease on Love) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes love can make you just a little bit crazy, and every couple is going to have issues once in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A New Lease on Love" was written by Philip John Taylor.

Victoria entered the main room of the tavern where the reception party was being held, outwardly smiling but inwardly seething. It had taken her a few moments to compose herself after Doña Maria left her before she could even fake the smile.

She knew that Doña Maria was an incessant and insistent matchmaker, but she'd never turned her sights on her before. And Victoria couldn't believe what she'd said about Diego. First, telling him to his face that he was a lost cause without a romantic bone in his body, and then after he'd gotten swept away by his father, saying that the only way that Don Alejandro would get him married was to arrange it himself and drag his son to the altar, as Diego was the most cautious bachelor in the territory.

Somewhere in there, Victoria started losing her temper as the implication seemed to be there was no point in trying for Diego, and thus she should let Doña Maria find her someone else, someone more available, even if he wasn't as rich. Victoria had to count to five before she pointed out she had no need for any man's money. Doña Maria just agreed with her and still insisted on offering to help her find a husband before it was too late. Desperate to get rid of her, Victoria told her she'd think about it. Zorro's name had not been mentioned once.

Victoria kept the smile on her face as she congratulated the happy couple and then looked around to see where Diego had gotten to. The smile immediately fell when she saw that he'd been cornered by Señorita Rosita Gonzalez, a cousin of the bride. She'd heard rumors about the señorita's last visit which had been well over a year ago; apparently she'd been quite blatant in her pursuit of him then, while he'd been just as obvious in his (polite) disinterest. From the looks of things she was still as determined now as then.

Victoria had thought she'd matured since the time she'd gotten into a food fight over Zorro. She had been grateful he hadn't been there to see it, though she realized that Diego had to have heard all about it, since it had been with his cousin's fiancée. However, seeing Señorita Rosita fluttering her lashes at Diego, who to his credit appeared to be trying to find a way to excuse himself, made her want to march across the room and yank that presuming young woman's hair. However, she was determined to stay where she was. Doña Maria's implication that she'd been chasing Diego still hung in her mind. She certainly had chased Zorro, even if he did start the flirtation, and what had that gotten her? Into this situation: standing across the room from the man she loved while some annoying female felt free to flirt with him. She hated it and hated being reminded of how far they still had to go before they could get married.

Concentrating on smiling again, Victoria deliberately moved in the opposite direction to where Diego was standing. Long years of running a tavern gave her the ability to fake a certain amount of sociability, and she needed every ounce of it. Especially since it seemed to take Diego forever to disentangle himself from the grasping señorita and finally seek her out just before the dancing started. His own mask seemed to be cracking just a bit as she could see worry in his eyes. She forced herself to smile more cheerfully. This was not the time or the place to give vent to any of the frustration she was feeling. Besides, she was getting to spend some time with him, even if they were still playing at being friends.

The rest of the reception went in a blur. She and Diego did dance more than once, but there seemed almost to be a conspiracy to keep them apart. If there wasn't someone wanting his attention, it was someone else wanting hers. She couldn't even properly say good-bye to him, when he and his father left. She was grateful when she could finally be alone and think. Things couldn't continue the way they were much longer. They needed to have a talk soon, as Victoria had no intention of putting up with Doña Maria's matchmaking attempts, and too late, she realized how she'd left herself open to them.

~Z~Z~Z~

Later that night, Diego slipped down to the cave. He wished he could ride into town to talk to Victoria, but after all the trouble they had gone to distance Zorro from Victoria, he couldn't risk being seen slipping in or out of the tavern, not now. He pulled the covering from a painting standing at the side of the room. He'd been laboring over its creation since shortly after his return from the Devil's Fortress and had completed it just two weeks ago, putting its frame on this past morning. It really was the best and most complicated work he'd ever done, and he still wasn't sure if he should give it to Victoria. While it had seemed a good idea in the beginning, he was wondering whether she'd like it or not; he knew when he wanted to give to her, if he could only be sure of the reception.

He sighed as he thought about Doña Maria's words before he left the church. Did he really appear so hopeless to everybody, or was she still annoyed that his father had told her that he had no interest in her assistance in arranging a marriage for his son? He truly was grateful that his father had not been seriously pressuring him into marriage. As painful as the endless references to grandchildren had been, Diego would have hated to have to explain exactly why he was apparently uninterested in matrimony to anyone who wasn't Victoria.

But really, he had been spending more time than ever with Victoria. Did no one think anything of that? Or did they really think he thought of her only as a friend? Or even worse that he was using her to keep other women away? If so, it really was time to correct that misapprehension.

Sitting down at his desk, he stared at the painting. He should already have started showing his true intentions in public; he knew that. But fear was a powerful force, and De Soto's obsession with Zorro had kept him frozen in place, despite the fact that he lost more respect for De Soto every day. He'd hardly had time to recover from the shock of De Soto's initial idiocy before the arrival of Captain Jarrett and De Soto's hare-brained attempts to discover the location of the treasure of Port au Prince. Diego still wasn't sure whether or not Captain Jarrett really knew its location. He changed his story so easily, but Diego was sure he loved his son and didn't really begrudge him what he could get to take care of his family, especially, since De Soto had so infuriated him by having Sepulveda, of all people, impersonate him.

He couldn't really get over his anger at that entire badly handled kidnaping scheme. When Luis Ramone used an imposter, he had at least been clever. He'd hired an outsider, a swordsman to tarnish his reputation. He hadn't dressed up the least likely of his men as Zorro in order to manipulate Jarrett into revealing the location of the treasure. It was just so insulting. While generally he'd consider the price of a treasure well worth it if it meant De Soto left, he wouldn't want to dignify such a badly thought out scheme with success.

Sighing again, Diego wondered when he'd become such a mess. So contemptuous of De Soto, yet so concerned about what he could do, that he'd let himself get stalled. And he saw Victoria's face earlier. She was getting impatient, and he couldn't blame her for it. Somehow, he had to find the solution. Standing up, he went and covered the picture again. He'd box it up tomorrow. And tomorrow, he'd think of the right way to start courting Victoria.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria moved around the tavern in a highly irritated state. Diego had come for an early dinner, but he was busily talking to Mendoza, and since clearly they were talking about the alcalde's latest scheme, she knew not to interrupt. She was really starting to hate the need for Zorro, especially since it seemed to make Diego more cautious when he wasn't wearing a mask.

And now Doña Maria had brought a suitor for her. A guitar-playing suitor. A guitar-playing suitor who couldn't seem to recognize a hint if it slapped him in the face, and she was fighting the urge to slap him. She definitely wasn't joking about turning his guitar into firewood; his playing was dreadful and his singing worse. She'd heard Diego play the guitar. He was as gifted with that as with the piano. And with all that, he knew that she would hate this particular kind of serenading. But not this weak-kneed caballero whose voice was grating on her ears.

As her temper flared, Victoria knew she should have flat out told the matchmaker she wouldn't be interested— at all— ever. And though she knew she shouldn't be, she was also getting annoyed with Diego just sitting there and watching. Why didn't he do something? He was good at creating distractions, and yet he just sat there and made her do all the hard work in getting rid of them. "Aflame with desire." Indeed. The twit couldn't even speak for himself, and Doña Maria couldn't come up with anything more than a lame romantic line. She'd been too nice saying she wouldn't be available for three months. Three centuries would be more like it. Victoria headed for the kitchen, needing to cool down for a while.

Diego watched her go with some concern. From the looks she shot him as she headed into the kitchen, she seemed to be as irritated with him as the pair who'd just left. However, he had no idea why exactly she was angry with him. It wasn't like she needed him to rid her of the pair. She'd done that very well on her own. In fact, he wouldn't have wanted to try to interfere while she was in such a tempestuous mood.

Alejandro laughed. "Well, I never expected Doña Maria to get started on Victoria."

Mendoza looked sideways at Diego. "You know, I always thought that if she wasn't interested in Zorro she'd..."

"What, Sergeant?" Diego asked, more sharply than he meant.

"Oh, never mind," Mendoza went back to concentrating on his drink.

Standing up, Alejandro said, "Come on, Diego. Felipe should be back by now."

Glancing back toward the kitchen, Diego reluctantly stood up to follow him. He wished he could think of a good reason to delay, to speak to Victoria, but he couldn't, especially since from her apparent mood, she'd be as likely to throw something at him as talk to him.

He rode by his father's side, cursing his cowardice along the way. How could he be so bold as Zorro and so timid as Diego? No wonder Victoria seemed angry with him. He was angry with himself.

His father glanced at him. "Diego, you haven't uttered a single word since we've been riding from town."

"Just a little concerned about Victoria."

"Because the matchmaker's turned her sights on her? Victoria knows her own mind; she's not going to let herself get swayed so easily. Although..." Alejandro looked thoughtfully at his son, before continuing, "if Victoria is interested in finding a husband, you should consider courting her yourself. Friendship is an excellent basis for marriage, and it seems to me that the two of you have been getting closer since your return from Devil's Fortress. I've always thought of Victoria as a daughter. I wouldn't mind making it official."

Diego tried to keep his voice even as he replied, "You have a point, father. I'll think about it."

They entered the courtyard. "Well, don't think too long, son," Alejandro said as he dismounted. "Or you might be too late. Women can be very unpredictable. And neither of you are getting any younger."

"Yes, father." Diego tried not to sigh as he dismounted.

Felipe came out to greet them and Alejandro asked about a shirt he'd expected from Spain. Once he'd heard that it arrived, he headed inside, and Felipe told Diego that he'd seen the alcalde's lancers guarding a crate, which made Diego wonder why a supposed statue would require an armed guard.

"It's too late to go tonight, and from what Mendoza said at dinner, they'll be moving it slowly; Mendoza says it's supposed to be here by the end of the week. So tomorrow evening, I think Zorro will take a look at this mysterious crate. It won't be hard to find the soldiers."

Felipe signed. "If there's a trap?"

"Oh, the whole thing is probably a trap; we'll just have to make sure Zorro doesn't get caught in it."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next morning, Victoria was bustling around the tavern when she looked out the window and saw Doña Maria and another man walking towards the tavern. She was not in the right frame of mind to deal with this. She headed for the kitchen, pulling off her apron.

"Pilar, I'm going for a walk," she said to the young woman. "You don't know where I'm going; you don't know when I'll be back. However, I will be back in time for the lunch crowd. Will you and Alicia be fine?"

"Certainly, Victoria," Pilar said with a smile. "I take it, that it's Doña Maria you're avoiding."

"Yes, it is," Victoria said, heading out the back door speedily.

Victoria was careful about leaving town. She didn't want to be spotted, and she was determined to finally have a talk with Diego. Things couldn't go on the way they were, but she was getting more agitated along the way. She was relieved that it was Diego who opened the door, as she hadn't thought what she'd do if she met his father.

"Diego, we need to talk," Victoria blurted out as soon as she saw him. "Alone," she added, looking around nervously.

Relieved since he'd been planning to go to the tavern to speak to her, he simply nodded and led the way to the fireplace, so they could slip down to the cave.

"Felipe's running an errand for my father, so no one will disturb us now," he said.

He offered her a chair, but she was feeling too irritable to sit.

"I narrowly avoided the matchmaker this morning," she said. "She seems determined to find me a husband— who's not you. She's very sure you're utterly opposed to matrimonial entanglements."

Then his suspicions were right. "I'm sorry."

For some reason the apology infuriated her. "Sorry? Is that all you have to say?"

"No," he replied, trying frantically to gather his thoughts. "I'm just not sure what to say."

"Like last night," Victoria said. "You could see how I was being annoyed. Why didn't you do anything last night?"

"I didn't like to interfere, and it didn't seem like you needed any help," he said. It sounded like a feeble excuse, even as he said it.

Victoria thought so as well. "Just because I didn't need it didn't mean I didn't want it."

"I know, but..." Diego protested.

"But what?" Victoria didn't even know why she was getting so angry with him. "I know you didn't spend all that time trying to learn what the alcalde's current scheme is. You could have helped me."

He looked down. "You're right, but I wasn't sure at the time. Since you were handling things with your usual flair, I thought it would have been awkward to jump into the middle."

"Flair? Temper you mean," Victoria said as that temper flared some more. "Diego, I've seen you jump into far worse situations— as yourself. You remember Sir Miles Thackeray? That one could have killed you. This— this— wasn't even in the same league."

"I know, and that's why I hesitated. You weren't in any danger, except from minor annoyance."

"That was no minor annoyance to me, Diego," Victoria said. "It was yet another slap in the face that no one even guesses that we have any kind of relationship and that I might as well be your mistress for all the public acknowledgment I get from you."

Diego was horrified. "That's not true." He reached out a hand towards Victoria, but she didn't seem to see it as she turned away, her arms tightly folded.

"I'm starting to wonder if it matters what is true or just what appears to be true," Victoria said. She'd deliberately stepped away from Diego, because as irritated as she was feeling, she knew she'd melt if he touched her, and this was not a time to melt.

Watching her anxiously, Diego forced back his protestations for a moment. He needed to keep calm. "What do you mean?"

Victoria looked anywhere but at him as she paced around the room. She wasn't even sure what she meant, but she struggled to find the words to describe what was bothering her. "I mean I chased Zorro. Very obviously in fact, despite the fact that I still say you— he— started it. It didn't seem so bad at the time. After all, he was a mysterious hero— a legend who existed outside of the normal rules. But it got us into this mess. And you— I mean Diego not Zorro— you're a caballero and probably the most eligible bachelor in the territory who, as I had pointed out to me, is very good at escaping from flirtatious señoritas, like Señorita Rosita." Victoria couldn't hide her annoyance with that particular young woman. "I don't want... I won't... I'm not going to chase _you_ , Diego de la Vega. I can't. If this is going to work, you're going to have to do something." She took a breath but still refused to look at him. "And that means not just sitting by when a matchmaker is working to convince me to marry someone else."

Diego's own frustration with himself and the situation started bubbling up. "What did you expect me to do? Challenge him for bothering you?"

Victoria whipped around. "No, that's more like something Zorro would do. But surely there's something you could do to save me from these matchmaking attempts." She shook her head as she tried untangling all her thoughts. "You're a poet, a scholar, a musician, and an artist. Somehow in all that, I'd think something could come to mind."

Diego glanced back towards the thin box behind the desk. "Victoria, I love you."

"I know, and I love _you_. I just want it to stop being in the dark. It's been five months, and now this..." Victoria turned back away. "If not now, then when? I just need you to decide. And... I... need to get back to the tavern."

She almost ran to get out of the cave, ignoring Diego calling her name. She knew she wasn't being fair, but Diego was better at talking than she was, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what he had to say, even if it was exactly what she wanted to hear. She was tired of sneaking moments with him, and right now anything he'd say would still be said in the shadows, so what good would that be. It was fortunate that no one was in the library since she'd forgotten to check before heading out the door.

All the way back to the tavern, Victoria was trying to get her thoughts together. She was a bundle of nerves. She was torn between running back to Diego to apologize and being irritated that he wasn't running after her. It didn't help that the matchmaker had actually waited in the tavern with her second prospective suitor. The only good thing about that was after Victoria's loud and determined brush off of this one, the matchmaker stormed out calling her impossible, which made Victoria hope that she'd finally taken the hint.

The lunch crowd was starting in, and Victoria headed back to the kitchen to get things ready. In the mood she was in, she had no intention of directly interacting with any more of her customers. Pilar and Alicia could handle them, and she was going to simply concentrate on the cooking and trying to regain her equanimity.

She'd just started chopping vegetables when she heard a voice. "Victoria."

Looking up she was surprised to see Juan Ortiz. He hadn't been in Los Angeles since he'd last gone away to sea a little over four years ago. She smiled politely as she replied, "Juan."

He walked into the kitchen a little nervously. "I wanted you to know, I'm going to be promoted to captain," he said.

Continuing with her work, Victoria said pleasantly, "Well, that's wonderful. Congratulations." She was pleased for him but wondered why he was telling her this.

Still moving nervously around the kitchen, Juan continued, "I shall be at the Admiral's office in Monterey. No more sailing. I'd like you to come with me... as my wife."

Victoria was stunned. Four years since she'd heard from him and almost the first words out of his mouth were a proposal? What made him think she was looking for a husband? Then she remembered his brother José had been at the tavern at the same time as the guitar-playing suitor and would have told Juan all about it when he arrived. Before she had time to get over the shock, he spoke again.

"Please. Don't say anything just yet," he said, and then more pleadingly. "Victoria, we've known each other all our lives."

"Yes, that's true," she replied trying to get her thoughts together, but she was still too shocked to find the right words. "We were childhood sweethearts. But we are no longer children."

"No, but I never stopped loving you. I never will. You were in my heart all those years I was away at sea," he said with determination, coming closer to plead his case.

"Juan, I can't..." Victoria started.

He jumped in. "I will be by your side every day. My prospects are excellent. I will do everything in my power to make you happy."

He sounded so sincere, and while Victoria found it painful, she couldn't let him go on. "But..."

He interrupted her yet again. "Please, don't answer yet," he entreated. "I know this is sudden, but give it some thought. I'll come back later." He was out the door before she could say another word.

Victoria just stood staring at the curtain in disbelief, almost unable to believe what just happened. He hadn't so much as written her a line since he'd gone back to sea, and here he was proposing and then leaving. She shook her head as she realized both that he knew her better than her two prospective suitors and that she'd just gotten through doing the exact same thing to Diego. She couldn't believe that Juan wanted to marry her after all this time. At one time, she might have thought it romantic; now she just felt guilty. They had been very close as children, and they'd seemed to drift together on those occasions when he'd returned home once he'd first gone to sea. But after his last visit, she'd not seen or heard from him, and Diego had always loomed larger in her mind and heart. She turned away from the door to continue with her food preparation.

She was startled when she heard a slight cough behind her. Turning she saw Diego standing just inside her kitchen looking a bit unsure. Her throat seemed to dry up, and it took all her concentration to keep hold of the bowl in her hands.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking a step further in. Victoria knew it wasn't just an apology for startling her.

At that moment, Alicia came into the kitchen to get something. She looked at the two of them curiously before she slipped back out. Victoria began to really regret running out on Diego earlier. They could always have talked in the library with fewer chances of interruptions than here.

Diego cleared his throat and glanced backwards uneasily. "Was that Juan Ortiz I saw leaving?" he asked, with an elaborate casualness that didn't really fool Victoria at all.

She didn't really want to talk about it, but she wasn't about to keep Juan's proposal a secret. "Yes. I was very surprised to see him. He told me he'd gotten promoted and was about to be stationed in Monterey." Victoria decided to concentrate on cooking while she told him. It made it easier. "And then he asked me to marry him."

For a long moment Diego was silent. Then quietly, "I'm not surprised." He walked a little closer. A little hesitantly, he asked, "What did you tell him?"

Victoria looked up at him with some concern. Something in the very mildness of his tone worried her.

Concentrating on mixing her ingredients, she said. "He didn't give me a chance to say anything. He wanted me to think about it before answering."

"I see," Diego said, in clipped tones. "What are you going to tell him?"

"I'm not sure," she said. Turning him down wasn't the same as rejecting the matchmaker's suitors. She looked up at Diego and was startled to see a trace of fear in his eyes.

"Not sure?" he asked, obviously trying to keep calm.

"It's not as easy rejecting the proposal of a man who's claimed to love me for so long. He's not like the two peacocks Doña Maria inflicted on me. And even though it's not any of his business, he's bound to ask if there's someone else— men always do— and I have no idea what to say to that," she said, frustration and irritation rising. Looking at him, she continued, "You didn't think I was thinking about saying yes, did you?"

The look in his eyes told her very clearly that that was exactly what he thought. "You two were very close," he said defensively and in a lower voice, "In fact, in one of his letters to me in Spain, my father said he thought you two were probably going to get married."

"What? We were never close to getting married," Victoria said, her anger returning as she remembered Zafira. " _I_ am not the one who almost got married. Not even just engaged— married." She'd tried to forget that. Really she had. After all, she'd had no claim on him. He hadn't even known she'd had a crush on him, but it still hurt. "I'm not the one who wasn't important enough to remember when you went away to Madrid. I'm not the one who was heartbroken over someone else. I never forgot _you_." It took a great deal of effort to keep her voice down.

"Victoria, please," Diego said, stepping closer to her. "I..."

This time it was Pilar who entered the kitchen for something else. Victoria turned back to her cooking while trying not to shoot daggers at her. Nothing was going right today. She was angry at everybody and everything. She probably should have pretended she was sick and stayed in bed. It would have been better than dealing with this right now when she couldn't think clearly.

When Pilar left the kitchen, Diego said urgently, "Victoria, please, can we take a walk? Go outside? Talk a little more privately?"

Victoria looked around her kitchen in frustration. "I can't now. Things are getting busy, and I already left once. I'm sorry I ran out earlier. I should have stayed; it would be better than this. What about later?"

Diego's mouth tightened a bit. With a mixture of anger and regret, he said, "There's an... experiment that I can't delay this evening." They never mentioned Zorro when there was even a vague possibility someone might overhear.

Victoria felt a chill settle in her stomach. She'd almost forgotten that the alcalde was behaving oddly over the statue of King Ferdinand, even though he was a direct part of what was making her life so difficult, and she was tempted to spike De Soto's next meal with a quantity of hot sauce. It would be better than poisoning him or braining him with a skillet. Though the skillet was tempting. Very tempting. "Be careful then. I know how dangerous some of your _experiments_ can be," she said anxiously. "I'm sorry. Everything's just so frustrating, but I'm sure we can work things out once we can find the time. But please don't let it worry you now. I don't want you distracted at the wrong moment."

He smiled then, a slight smile that was hardly reassuring. "I promise to be careful." He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "Just give me a chance to make things right." His eyes looked pleading.

"Of course," Victoria said. Her anger had completely drained away and been replaced by fear for his safety. She stepped closer to him, reaching with her other hand to touch his cheek.

A noise from outside the kitchen caused them both to jump back.

"Soon, I promise," Diego whispered before leaving the kitchen.

Victoria blinked back tears as she went back to her cooking, hoping Diego would be safe.


	6. Love and War (A New Lease on Love) Part 2

Diego took the long way back to the hacienda, trying to convince himself that everything would be all right. She was worried about him, but that didn't change the fact that she was angry with him. Or that she had good reason to be impatient. Or that the one man he'd been convinced she might marry had just come back and proposed to her. Why had he waited so long?

Her comments about his almost getting married stung. He didn't know how to explain to her what had happened. He couldn't even explain it to himself. He'd been lonely and homesick and sure that if not Juan, someone else would have swept her away before his return. She'd always been the most popular girl in the pueblo. Despite her assurances, he still feared that she might be ready to give up on him entirely. After all, Juan didn't have to worry about any one suspecting him of being a masked bandit, and apparently he was confident enough to propose even after an absence of four years.

Shaking his head, Diego told himself that in two days, regardless of what schemes the alcalde had going on, he was going to declare his intentions openly. He just hoped Victoria's patience would last that much longer; if it didn't he would just have to throw himself on her mercy and beg her forgiveness. She was worth fighting for.

Now, however, in keeping with his promise to her, he concentrated on pushing all those worries out of his mind so that he could focus on his quest tonight. Zorro had to ride with a clear head, since this was almost inevitably a trap, and he had no intention of being caught in it. Not now.

~Z~Z~Z~

The afternoon seemed to stretch forever. Victoria wondered what Diego was doing and if he were safe. She wished she'd managed to keep her temper. And she couldn't help but think about Juan and his proposal. It seemed unreal like something from a play.

Apparently, he remembered her reluctance to marry a sailor better than their other disagreements. They'd had quite a few during that last time he'd been in Los Angeles. Nothing as direct as a fight, just each other thinking the other was being unreasonable. He'd never really seemed to have faith in her ability to run the tavern on her own, and despite the fact that she didn't mind spending time with him while he was on leave, she'd realized that she wasn't willing to spend her life waiting for him to come back from the sea and that she'd never really gotten over her crush on Diego.

When she and Juan had last parted, Victoria had thought they'd both realized that it wasn't going to work. She hadn't really been surprised to not hear from him in the intervening time which was why his proposal had been such a complete shock. She had no idea he'd still felt that way, and she still didn't know exactly what she was going to say to him. Thinking about how things had ended with Juan reminded her of the things she loved about Diego. He never seemed to doubt her capabilities or to want her to change who she was. There were times where he may have wished she was less impulsive, but it always seemed to be more about his concern about her safety rather than his hating that aspect of her personality. And she was starting to realize that she loved his patience even though occasionally, like now, it drove her crazy. She still had to wonder how he'd managed to maintain his disguise as Diego for so long. She would have cracked before the first year was out, and yet he hadn't. He had made so many sacrifices to protect the people of Los Angeles. Could she really blame him for being so cautious? Now that she knew who he was, was it really such a sacrifice to be patient?

She wished that Felipe would come to town, since she couldn't go visit the de la Vegas. She wanted some assurance that Zorro was going prepared, and Felipe was the only who could give her that. The only thing she regretted about knowing who Zorro was that she worried all the more about his safety. Somehow it had been easier to believe in his invulnerability when she didn't know the man behind the mask. However, she wouldn't change knowing who he was for any feeling of security.

The sun had gone down when Juan returned to the tavern. He asked her to go for a walk with him, and still unsure of what to say, Victoria agreed. They strolled to the edge of the pueblo, near the church. Victoria had been staring blankly ahead trying to get her thoughts together when she heard Juan say:

"Probably just some traveler trying to get home before the moon goes down."

She focused on the direction she'd been looking and realized that it was Zorro riding in the general direction of his cave. He had such a distinctive silhouette. She couldn't stop her smile of relief as this meant that he'd finished whatever he was going to do and was safe. Then she realized that Juan was watching her with a hopeful expression, and she sighed as she knew it was time to give him her answer.

"I've been thinking about your proposal all day," she started hesitatingly. "It was very unexpected."

"I realize that. I know we didn't part on the closest of terms, but I never stopped thinking of you. I'd hoped that now I'll no longer be at sea and since you're not betrothed to anyone..."

Victoria couldn't let him go on. "Juan, please, no, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't marry you."

Juan looked at her silently for a long moment. "Is there someone else?"

Of course he would ask. "Yes," Victoria said simply.

"Who is it?" he asked.

She knew he'd ask that question too though she'd hoped that he would just accept her refusal and let the rest go. "Does it really matter? I don't know what the future is for us; I just know that I love him too much to even consider marrying anyone else."

Juan was still watching her. "Is it Don Diego?"

Victoria's eyes widened a bit. "What makes you think that?"

"Aside from the look in your eyes when I mentioned his name?" He managed a wry smile. "As much as I hated to admit it, it was always clear that you had some kind of feelings for him. I know I wasn't the only one who was jealous of the attention you paid him when we were young. When I heard you were still single, I had hoped that it meant you might have gotten over him. But you haven't, have you?"

Victoria shook her head. She had thought she'd hid her feelings better than that. At least she'd fooled her brothers and Diego, for what good that did. "You're right. Even when I tried, and I did try, I never quite forgot him, and these last few months, it's just gotten stronger." She could almost laugh at the irony that she had once thought she'd gotten over Diego by falling in love with a man in a mask, who turned out to be Diego after all. It would be funny if it hadn't made her life so complicated.

"Do you think he'll ever marry you?" Juan asked.

Victoria's temper flared a little even though his tone was mild. "It doesn't matter. What matters is I love him and only him." She took a deep breath and continued more gently, "Juan, you're a good man. You deserve to be someone's first choice of husband, not a fallback because she's gotten tired of waiting for the man she really wants. Even if it never works out between Diego and me, I'm never going to be that woman for you." The last came out a bit harsher than she meant it to, but she didn't want to leave him with any false hope. She knew in her heart, that much as she wanted a family, it would be with Diego or no one, and she was willing to wait for him.

Juan sighed. "I understand. I'm very sorry, but I understand. Shall we go back?" He offered her his arm.

Victoria nodded her head and took his arm, relieved that this was over. Now if only she could get the matchmaker to leave her alone, life would be tolerable again.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego pulled off the mask in the cave, frustrated about how the evening had gone. It _had_ been a trap, and while he'd escaped from the pit, he'd still not gotten a look at the statue. He wasn't sure what it really was, but he wanted to have a better idea before it got to Los Angeles. Suddenly he felt like an idiot; surely the alcalde had some form of paperwork in his office. De Soto seemed to be more of a stickler for it that Ramone, at least the official paperwork, and Diego suspected that this _statue_ was considered some sort of official requisition.

He went over to his lab table and took a small bottle of ether. If he was going to do a search of De Soto's office tonight, he wanted to be absolutely sure that the alcalde wasn't going to disturb him. He didn't particularly want to go back out, but he knew he needed the information. He'd just have to hope that no messenger would arrive from the lancers guarding the crates arrived this evening.

It wasn't too long before he was back in Los Angeles and creeping into the alcalde's quarters. De Soto was sleeping heavily, but Zorro added a few drops of ether just to be sure. He slipped into De Soto's office and after being quite sure the doors were locked, started going methodically through his desk. One drawer was locked, but since De Soto had left his keys out, it was the work of a moment to get it open. Pulling the papers out, he started examining them. At the bottom of the pile, he found the item he was looking for, and he was furious to find out that De Soto was expecting a shrapnel cannon. De Soto was willing to endanger the lives of the citizens of Los Angeles just to take down one man. Even Ramone wouldn't have been that reckless with his citizenry.

As soon as he got his temper under control, he managed to realize what kind of underhanded maneuvering De Soto had gone through to acquire the cannon. While this information wouldn't necessarily get him more than a reprimand, Zorro reflected that it wouldn't make De Soto look good and, if it fell into the hands of higher authority, would certainly prevent his managing to replace it. Replacing everything except the papers referring to the cannon exactly where he found them, Zorro slipped out of the cuartel and headed back to the cave, pausing just long enough to glance at the tavern on the way out of town.

As he rode, he ran through possible options in his head, since there was no way he was going to let the alcalde get away with this. However, this would take special planning, since the only good time to deal with the cannon and the ammunition would be while it was moving on the road to Los Angeles. If he waited until it reached town, it would be too well guarded, and there'd be a far greater danger that innocent bystanders could be hurt. He'd also need to send Felipe into town in the morning to see if he could discover anything more specific about De Soto's plans.

He wished he could go himself, but he knew he had too much to do, Also, for once, he didn't think he could manage to see Victoria and act as if everything were fine when he was torn up with worry inside. Even as he was working on his plans, he wondered what, if anything, she'd said to Juan or if she might really be sick of dealing with his secrets and prefer a life without any need for deception.

As he solidified his plans, he desperately wished there was some way to use what he discovered to make De Soto be a just alcalde or failing that find a decent way to get him out of Los Angeles. However, in his current pessimistic state of mind, Diego felt that it wouldn't matter if De Soto left, since the next alcalde would in all probability be just as bad or worse. Too many people were willing to just sit back and let Zorro fight for justice rather than go even a step out of their own way. Diego was beginning to feel like this crusade would never end. Hours later, he couldn't even forget it in his sleep.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next morning was a slightly more peaceful one for Victoria. Doña Maria had apparently either gotten the hint or hadn't found a replacement suitor; either way Victoria was pleased to not see her. Victoria was also glad that Juan made no appearance in the tavern as that would have been awkward.

There hadn't been that much activity from the cuartel, until a messenger rode in late in the morning. He was inside for about half an hour before he went riding back out again, and it wasn't all that much later when Mendoza was sent out with a notice to post: another tax, this time for the statue that no one had asked for or wanted and which the alcalde planned to unveil at five o'clock in the evening. Victoria stared at it angrily. De Soto might as well have written, "this is a trap for Zorro" and been done with it. She looked around the plaza, vainly hoping to see Diego riding into town and wondering if she needed to go to him. She had no idea what he'd been doing last night or what he might have planned for today. She did know that he needed to know what De Soto had planned.

It was with relief that she saw Felipe coming into town. He'd be able to give Diego the details of the alcalde's trap, and she could tell him what she'd seen earlier. It was easy enough to get his attention once he'd seen the notice. As if she was just venting her irritation about the alcalde's behavior, she told him about the messenger who'd arrived and left as well as her feelings about the notice. Then, as casually as she could, she asked how Diego's experiments were going.

Felipe signed that he'd been very busy and that he thought he'd finish them up sometime later today or tonight. Then cautiously making sure no one else saw he signed that Diego was worried about her. Equally cautiously, Victoria said that Diego didn't need to worry; she still had faith in the future, and he should too. Felipe smiled. Very quietly she added, "Make sure you're both careful." Felipe nodded. Victoria smiled at him and went back into the tavern, relieved that Diego would know what had been happening. However, it didn't stop her from worrying about them. Nothing did.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego was in the cave changing into Zorro's gear, when Felipe returned. He'd just finished up his final preparations for dealing with the alcalde and his cannon. Much of the preliminary bits had been done early in the morning once there was enough light to see by. It didn't take Felipe long to let him know what was going on in town and to pass on Victoria's message, which went a long way to calming his worries. Once he was sure of everything, he worked out the last couple of details with Felipe and told him to tell his father, if asked, that he had to ride to the bank in Santa Paula.

Once out of the cave, Zorro headed towards the point where he planned to ambush the wagon. He had considered just sabotaging the cannon and letting the alcalde reap the consequences, but he decided that would be too dangerous. He'd rather make sure that when he destroyed it, there was no one nearby. Besides, he wasn't in the mood to let De Soto even think he was triumphing before pulling the rug out from under him. He planned to make sure this failed in such a spectacular way, that De Soto would never try such a stunt again.

He'd carefully calculated the location of his ambush and the likely time that the wagon would arrive and was there well in advance to be sure everything was still ready. He circled around the area keeping just out of sight of the road. Everything was ready.

When the wagon finally appeared, Zorro waited until it was getting close the right spot before appearing. As he expected half the soldiers started chasing after him. He led them away, and then circled back behind them to set off some smoke bombs before returning to the wagon. With only three men there, it was easy enough to deal with them. Soon they were all unconscious, and he had the wagon. He drove it past the spot where the second set of smoke bombs were ready and set them off. By the time the smoke cleared, he should be almost at the spot for the final disposal, and he already knew that these lancers couldn't track worth anything. The smoke had probably been an unnecessary precaution, but he didn't want to take any chances today. It was too important.

He was right that the lancers couldn't or wouldn't track him. He got the wagon where he wanted it and unhitched and sent off the horses. It didn't take him long to prep the explosion, but he was waiting until at least one of the lancers made it into town before setting off the explosion. That was Felipe's job, as long as he could get to the first charge unobserved. If not Zorro still had a backup plan.

He didn't have that long to wait. He heard a light blast from outside the pueblo and lit the fuse to the charge on the wagon before retiring on Toronado to a safe distance. He watched with satisfaction as it exploded precisely on cue. Toronado shied a little at the sound, but as soon as the debris settled, Zorro started him for the pueblo, lighting the fuses of several more light charges on his the way. Riding to the far side of the pueblo, Zorro saw a number of lancers riding in the direction of the main explosion. As he hoped De Soto remained behind.

Charging in to town, Zorro disarmed the few remaining lancers, and then swung off Toronado to land in front of De Soto.

"Buenas tardes, alcalde," he said, raising his sword to De Soto's throat before he could reach his own sword.. "I'm afraid I just couldn't wait to see the statue of King Ferdinand. Imagine my surprise when I found out what exactly in those crates."

"What have you done with the cannon?" De Soto managed to say between clenched teeth.

"Oh, it and its ammunition have suffered a fatal accident. I'm sure your lancers can tell you all about it later." Quickly sheathing his sword, Zorro grabbed De Soto by the collar pressing him back against the wall of his office. "And don't think I don't know what you did to get that," he whispered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," De Soto choked out, trying to shake loose.

"Check your office, alcalde; you might be surprised at what's missing."

De Soto paled.

"If you spent a tenth of the time doing your job as you've spent trying to trap me," Zorro added, "you'd probably be out of here in a year. Dream on that."

De Soto's eyes widened as Zorro knocked him out with a punch, before leaping on Toronado and speeding away. He barely paused long enough to see Felipe and Victoria standing near each other outside of the tavern before racing out of town to make it back to the cave. He almost couldn't believe that his plan had worked, but once Felipe returned safely home from the pueblo, he could finally stop worrying about the alcalde and start concentrating on Victoria. He hoped those plans would go as smoothly, since he had no idea what to do if they went badly.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day seemed to go by too quietly for Victoria, as she had nothing much to do but think about the previous evening's events. Once the alcalde had woken up after his confrontation with Zorro, he'd retreated to his office in a foul mood. Mendoza had removed the notice with a shrug, after the lancers had returned. Victoria had mainly felt relief that the alcalde's scheme whatever it was had failed and that Diego was safe. She wasn't even in the mood to gloat about De Soto's loss, mainly because she knew it was just a matter of time before he came up with something else. She wondered when Diego would be coming back to town; she knew he had to be exhausted by everything he'd done the past couple of days, and she wanted him to get some rest. Much as she wanted to talk to him and let him know that she'd wait as long as necessary, she'd rather know he was getting some much needed rest. She had long since stopped thinking he slept too much; now she wondered if he slept at all.

It was late morning when Juan left on the Monterey coach. He spoke to her briefly before he left. It was very polite and very final, and she felt lighter once the coach left. And after that, everything got too busy for her to even think of visiting Diego. At siesta time, she was tempted to go to see him, but decided against it. After all, she had decided to be patient, and that wasn't patient.

Near the end of siesta, Victoria unlocked the doors to the tavern and went back to the kitchen to get things ready. She was in the pantry, checking her supplies, when she heard a small sound. Stepping back into main room of the tavern, she stopped when she saw Diego standing in front of the bar.

For what seemed like a long time, they stood where they were in silence. Finally, they drifted across the room toward each other. "Victoria... Victoria... I'm sorry," Diego started.

"No, Diego," Victoria interrupted. "I'm sorry. I was..."

"Victoria, please," Diego said gently as he reached down and took her hand. "You have no reason to be sorry. What I have to say can't wait just as you shouldn't have had to all ths time." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "I thought I was being noble by being cautious, that by playing the friend and not showing my feelings for you, I was keeping you safe, but... I was being selfish by letting things drift along. I _am_ sorry. I love you, and I don't want to hide that anymore... ."

Victoria looked up into his face. Diego had the most expressive eyes. It's a wonder it had taken her so long to notice them when he wasn't wearing a mask. "I love you, Diego, now and always," she said just above a whisper. Diego wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Victoria rested her head on Diego's chest.

After a long moment, he said, "I have something for you, querida."

"For me?" Victoria looked up at him.

Letting go of her, Diego turned and moved her over to a table over which was draped a blue velvet cloth.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"It's something I painted for you," he said, an unaccountable nervousness in his voice.

"A painting? For me?" She never expected that.

"Yes. Especially for you," Diego said, as he pulled the cloth aside.

Victoria stepped forward to look at the painting, not sure what to expect. At first glance, it seemed to be simply a picture of the main room of the tavern. However, once she got a good look, she was stunned at what she saw. It wasn't just the tavern. It was a memory. A perfect memory. She didn't know how he'd done it, but it was her family, when they were still together. Her father behind the bar, her mother a tray in hand, her brothers playing out of the way, and she standing on the stairs looking out at them all. Everyone looked so happy. It was so much better than any portraits could have been. Her vision blurred as tears came to her eyes. He'd had to have been working on this for months. Long before she'd gotten frustrated with him.

"Diego, how..." was all she managed to say before her voice choked up.

He stepped behind her and said hesitantly, "A few months ago I found some sketches I'd made when I was young. They weren't very good but they were a start, and I found some better ones my mother had done. And I thought that you might like something... It took a while to figure out what would be the best way... I wasn't sure, but I'd hoped..." His voice trailed off.

"It's perfect," she said, throwing her arms back around him.

"I'm so glad," he said, holding her tightly. "I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. But I wanted to give you something today of all days and not just because of what's been happening."

"Today? Why today?" she asked leaning back to look at him.

Diego smiled. One hand reached up to wipe away a tear that was trailing down her cheek. "I thought it was men who were supposed to be the forgetful ones," he said, letting her go and stepping back to take her hands in his. "Three years ago today, I walked into this tavern and saw you for the first time in four years and lost my heart entirely. You were so beautiful, so kind, so passionate about justice. I knew life would never be the same. I just didn't expect what else happened."

Victoria returned the smile. She had forgotten what day it was. "I don't think anyone really could have. You were so handsome that day, and when you came to my defense, I think I knew, but then..."

"I know. It was my fault. I was so cocky and then so afraid. But I've come to my senses now," he said, then took a deep breath. "So in keeping with my newly acquired sanity, Victoria Escalante, I would like to have your permission to court you openly the way I should have from the beginning."

Victoria was speechless for the moment, but then finally managed to say, "You have my permission, Diego de la Vega."

Diego's eyes lit up, and he raised her hands to his lips and placed a kiss on each one, his eyes never leaving hers. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me, querida," he said, before continuing in a more mundane tone. "So to celebrate will you join my father and me for dinner this evening?" Then with a touch of humor he added, "I wouldn't call it a sumptuous hacienda, but I am 'aflame with desire' for you."

Victoria laughed; everything was all right again. "And even better, you can speak for yourself."

"Even if it took me a long time to do it," he said self-deprecatingly.

"That doesn't matter now," Victoria replied, letting her love shine out in her expression.

They leaned towards each other until their lips met in a kiss. Diego's hands slipped around her waist and her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer as the kiss deepened. All too soon, Diego pulled away to catch his breath.

"Perhaps I'd better hang that for you," he said after a long silence and a look at the painting.

Victoria cleared her throat. "Yes, I think so," she said, unsteadily.

Diego moved over to pick up the painting. "Will it be all right if I call for you at seven?" he asked.

"That would be perfect," Victoria replied.

~Z~Z~Z~

The tavern was busy. Victoria had made sure that Alicia and Pilar could handle everything before going upstairs to change into her best dress. It was just before seven when she walked downstairs and to her annoyance she saw Doña Maria waiting for her, although this time she didn't seem to have a suitor along with her.

"Ah, Victoria," she said, "I think I might just have the perfect suitor for you, if you're willing to..."

Victoria was bracing herself to tell Doña Maria that she had no need for a suitor, when another voice broke in.

"I don't think that's necessary," Diego said.

Victoria hadn't even seen him come in, but he looked more handsome than ever. Doña Maria stared at him a little disbelievingly.

"Señorita Escalante has agreed to let me court her," he said softly, before turning to Victoria. "You look exceptionally beautiful this evening, señorita." He lifted her hand for a kiss. "Are you ready to leave? My father is waiting for us."

"Yes, Don Diego," she answered, with a rare meekness, taking his arm.

As they exited the tavern, Diego and Victoria glanced back at Doña Maria who was staring at them slack-jawed. Victoria laughed as they went outside, thinking about the look on Doña Maria's face once she realized that Don Diego did indeed have at least a little bit of romance in him after all.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this episode was actually the primary reason I decided to go with mostly production order rather than broadcast order— the fact that it also gave me more episodes to play with was more of a bonus. After all, it is a bit easier getting Diego and Victoria together if she hasn't left a man at the altar after declaring her great love of Zorro. And there's the fact that I never really liked "A New Lease on Love." It seemed a bit out of character for Victoria to suddenly decide to marry someone else without even making some kind of attempt to contact Zorro. It was all too sudden and felt contrived. And the alcalde's daft scheme didn't distract Zorro so much that he couldn't have visited and tried to find out what Victoria was thinking. That one sad attempt of Diego's to talk to her was not really sufficient.
> 
> It actually took me a while to figure out what to do with the plot as I didn't want to drop the character of Juan Ortiz, but I wasn't going to have Victoria agree to marry him. I hope this solution works (it doesn't involved turning him into a villain or anything like that). Also, if anyone's been missing Victoria's temper, you'll be happy to know it's back in this story, even if mildly. And if you haven't, well it's still back anyway, and Diego's got his own issues as well. Also, once again, I'm having a little problem with the timing (actually I don't think it's clear), so I'm arranging things to suit myself. And sadly, the alcalde's daft plan is still here, but things play out a little bit differently than in the episode on both De Soto and Zorro's sides.
> 
> Also thanks to Ghetto Outlaw who helped me when I got stuck on the penultimate scene of the story. I couldn't have finished without him.
> 
> Next up: A story set after "Turning the Tables". Originally, I had intended to skip it entirely though I do love the episode, but because the other Zorro story I was writing at the time (The Fox and the Son of the Dragon) was more tense than my usual style, I needed something a little lighter than the episode I was intending to write next.


	7. Curing De Soto (Turning the Tables)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Emissary leaves, Diego still needs to "cure" De Soto, even though he would far rather be spending time with Victoria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Turning the Tables" was written by Greg Klein and Ted Alben. I just tried tying off a loose end of their plot.

**Curing De Soto** **(Turning the Tables)**

Diego and Felipe entered the tavern, still smiling over the sight of the alcalde clumping around in his over-sized clothes. It had been fun, but he hadn't thought of what to do about it afterwards. Diego stopped smiling as he thought about it, since he would need to think of something appropriate, something more than just getting back at De Soto for indulging his bigotry in order to ingratiate himself with someone in power.

It was so frustrating. The Emissary may have changed for the better because of his experience, but he'd left De Soto the worse for it. A better Emissary might have made De Soto more keen on shining as a just leader. But, no, that would have been too much for Los Angeles to hope for, he thought cynically. They'd never get that lucky.

Victoria smiled at him as he approached the bar, and that cheered him slightly, especially now that he was allowed to show his affection (albeit mildly) in public. He took advantage of that fact to kiss her hand for the second time that day, and Victoria's smile grew brighter.

"I was about to get some coffee for your father," she said, glancing at where Alejandro was now sitting. "Would you and Felipe like some as well, Diego? It's such a cold day."

"Made warmer by your smile," he whispered, glad that no one was standing near, enjoying the slight blush on her cheeks but then more loudly said, "That would be wonderful, if you'll come and sit with us."

"That would be my pleasure, señor," she said, with a mock curtsey. "Especially since I want to know what it is the alcalde wanted from you."

"I will be only too glad to tell you," Diego said, "if you let me help you bring the coffee out."

"Done," Victoria replied. "It's always a pleasure to put you to work."

She turned and headed for the kitchen, followed by Diego who waved at Felipe to join his father who simply smiled at them. That was another thing Diego was grateful for. He and his father had been getting along so well. Alejandro was pleased that Diego was finally courting someone and particularly pleased that it was Victoria. But it was more than that. He'd actually gone along with Diego's plan for the Emissary without any more than rational objections. There had been a time when he would have dismissed it as impossible without a second thought. Having his father's confidence had been wonderful, actually.

The tavern's kitchen was empty when they entered, and Victoria turned and looked up at him expectantly. Diego leaned over and kissed her cheek and smiled at her disappointed look.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Well, we've just started courting," Diego teased. "You wouldn't want me to be too forward, would you?"

Victoria looked at him for a moment before elaborately turning back to start getting things ready. "No, I suppose not. I could just start reminiscing about my old, bolder suitor," she said, lightly. "Not that he was that bold, at least not for anything more than flirting and hand-kissing. No wonder that never lasted."

It had started so gradually that Diego was hard pressed to remember exactly when they'd started teasing each other this way. Perhaps, it was because their courtship had started so unconventionally, it was hard to be proper, even though Alejandro did give them more latitude than more parents would have. But still it was fun to see which one would break first when they were alone.

Knowing she'd won this round, Diego came up close behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and brushed his lips against her cheek before she turned her head further towards him for a kiss on the lips. "And that's the best I can do while we're supposed to be getting coffee," he said, stepping back.

She sighed melodramatically before finishing getting everything together. Diego took the tray and carried it back to the main room of the tavern. He set it down on the table, not too smoothly, and Victoria's head turned to look at him with an undecipherable expression.

"Sorry," he said. "I'll get better with practice."

She smiled at him. "As long as you don't break the dishes, I don't mind." Then she looked at Don Alejandro, as she poured out the coffee. "Diego is starting to get quite handy around the kitchen." She sat next to Diego.

"I'm glad to hear that," Alejandro said. He looked as if he were tempted to add something else, but instead looked at Diego. "What did the alcalde want, Diego?"

Diego was a little hesitant about this. "Um, well, it seems as if someone has told the alcalde he might have contracted Napoleon shrinking disease," he said. "And he wanted to know if I'd heard of it."

"Really," Alejandro said with a smirk. "Do you know who?"

"I can't be sure, but I think it was probably Zorro; he seems to have followed everything that was going on," Diego said, speaking quickly as he hated to lie by implication. "De Soto asked if I'd heard of a cure, and I told him I had but couldn't remember it, and said if he came over tomorrow I might find something out."

"With all your work with the Emissary," Alejandro said, "I lost track of what was happening to De Soto."

"I think we all did," Victoria interjected. "The Emissary was the major problem."

"Well, now we need to cure him, so that things can return to normal, frustrating as that may be," Diego said in a low, irritated voice, but then looked at Victoria with a more cheerful expression. "Would you like to come over this afternoon and help me with that? If it will help, I've just received a few new books that you might like to read."

"New books and time with you. What could be nicer?" Victoria said.

Alejandro spoke up. "How about joining us for dinner as well? If you can spare us that much time." He always encouraged Victoria's visits.

"Yes, please do," Diego added, putting his hand over hers.

Smiling at both Diego and Alejandro, Victoria said, "I think I can take an afternoon and evening off. Pilar loves to be in charge."

"Excellent!" Alejandro replied warmly.

Victoria leaned close to Diego and said softly, "For you, I can spare all the time in the world."

~Z~Z~Z~

They'd ridden the carriage into town to see the Emissary off. It had been easier, and it made a good excuse to have Victoria ride back with them. Not that Diego really needed an excuse anymore. When they arrived back home, Miguel came to get Alejandro about some problems with the cattle, and Alejandro had Felipe join them. Diego managed not to roll his eyes at his father's more obvious maneuvering before he and Victoria went inside.

Taking just long enough to tell Maria about the extra guest for dinner, Diego and Victoria went into the library and slipped into the secret passage. Victoria stopped near the bottom of the steps, and Diego turned to face her. They were almost at a level for once, and he had only to lean forward to touch her lips with his. He kissed her lips, then each cheek, and then her forehead before stepping away. Her eyes remained closed for a few moments.

"Better?" he asked, with a smile.

"Definitely," she said, stepping down to the floor. "Now what did you have in mind? I know we can't expect much time here."

"That is unfortunately true," Diego said, moving over to the table. "However, most of my medical and philosophy books are down here, as well as the cactus tea that I think we'll be using for the 'cure.'"

He moved over to a beaker with a strange yellowish green liquid in it. Victoria came closer to get a better look.

"Oh," she said, "that smells terrible."

"And it tastes worse, but it is a good pain reliever, and more importantly for our purposes, induces sleep," Diego said. He brought over a glass bottle and a funnel and poured a quantity of the cactus tea into it. He put in a stopper. "This should make sure he sleeps long enough for whatever else we decide to do to take effect." He handed her the bottle while he went over to his desk and picked up a few books. "Maybe in one of these we can find something we can use to make our cure sound convincing." They headed up the stairs. "I can't believe I didn't think about how to properly resolve this," he said, as they returned to the library.

Victoria put the bottle on a table. "Well, the Emissary was the greater problem and I don't blame you for having a bit of fun with the alcalde at the same time." She sat down on the sofa next to him, and took one of the books.

Diego shook his head. "Sometimes, I think my propensity to have _fun_ with the alcalde gets me into more trouble than if I were sensible."

"Well, if you hadn't done what you did with the Emissary, the Indians would still be facing whipping and worse. _You_ saved them. All of you this time. It was Diego's plan... ."

"That Zorro had to intervene in," Diego replied. He wished just once Zorro could stay out of things.

"But it was still you," Victoria insisted. She tended to get frustrated when he dismissed his contributions. She understood why he'd need to do it in public, but she hated it in private. "Now, what clever ploy do you intend to use on De Soto?"

Diego flipped through one of the books. "I'm not certain. Obviously I don't have any books that mention Napoleon shrinking disease. So I think I'm going to have to find it in some old school notes, but it's a question of what he'll need to do for the cure."

"Besides drink cactus tea, of course," Victoria said, looking at the bottle. "I guess you aren't planning to add to the humiliation."

"No," Diego said. No point in antagonizing him further. It would be a miracle if the "cure" worked without letting him know how he'd been fooled. "I would like to think of someway to encourage him to behave though."

"It's a pity we can't tell him that behaving unjustly would make it worse," Victoria said.

"A pity indeed," Diego said slowly. "I think it would take a better man than me to convince him." He stared blankly, then a light came into his eyes. "Brilliant. I think I have it." He grabbed Victoria's face and gave her an enthusiastic kiss. "Wait." He went over to the bookshelves and pulled a book off the shelf, before coming back to the sofa and giving Victoria another kiss on the cheek. He flipped open the book. "This might work, provided he's not too familiar with the works of Descartes."

"Who?" Victoria asked.

"He was a Seventeenth Century French philosopher, which fits nicely for our purposes," Diego said. "Even if he predates Napoleon. But we can get past that easily enough by saying it's a new name. I do hope that De Soto's interest in philosophy really does begin and end with Machiavelli."

"I'm surprised it even reached Machiavelli," Victoria said.

Diego smiled. "Yes, I somehow doubt that he'd be too interested in anything the French had done. Anyway for our purposes and putting it in its simplest terms, Descartes believed in a dualism between mind and body and that the pineal gland is where they interact. So there's a physical connection we can use for our explanation, and considering that De Soto hasn't realized the nonsensical quality of his 'shrinking,' I think we have a very good chance of making him believe the cure."

Victoria kissed Diego's cheek. "That's good. Now that you know, what do you suppose we ought to do while waiting for your father and Felipe to return?"

Diego smiled and lifted one of her hands for a gentle kiss. "I can think of one or two things."

Victoria returned the smile. "I can too. There's the books you promised I could choose from."

"So I did," Diego replied, dropping her hand dramatically. "I suppose we should be good."

Victoria stood up, but moved closer to Diego. "I don't think we have to be _that_ good," she said, leaning forward until their lips were mere inches apart.

Diego reached up a hand to caress her cheek. "I agree," he said before drawing her forward into a lingering kiss.

By the time Alejandro and Felipe had returned, Diego was playing the piano, and Victoria was reading a book. Alejandro shook his head at the sight but didn't say anything. Over dinner, Diego explained his plan. Alejandro was a bit skeptical about some points, but since De Soto had fallen so hard for the shriveling, he thought this did sound like the best way to finish it up. After dinner, Diego was able to escort Victoria home. Felipe went with them. His father would only allow them so much freedom. Diego wondered just how long before he could properly propose. He knew that his father would encourage it sooner rather than later, but it had only been a couple of weeks, so still too soon. He kissed Victoria's hand in farewell, before returning home.

~Z~Z~Z~

De Soto arrived early in the day still clumping around in his too large clothes, and Diego worked at being his most convincing.

"Yes, I finally found something in some old lecture notes," he said. "It seems this condition is a rare one that has a tendency to flare up randomly. There is no permanent cure per se, but it can easily be treated."

"How?" De Soto asked.

Diego brought out the bottle of cactus tea. "Since this is an initial flare up, it should actually recede fairly quickly if you take this tonight, at bedtime. The whole dose and tomorrow things should be back to normal."

De Soto stared at the bottle. "You're sure?"

"Almost, entirely," Diego said. "My notes were fairly vague."

"You say this isn't a permanent cure? Is there nothing I can do to prevent it returning?" De Soto asked anxiously.

Diego took a breath and prepared to spout his nonsense as convincingly as possible. "Well, according to Descartes, there is a connection between the mental and the physical aspects of this condition."

"What does that mean?"

"Simply, this condition seems to be brought on by too much stress, usually in line with overly ambitious plans. Encounters with Zorro seem to be very stressful for you, so I'd suggest avoiding things likely to encourage his intervention." Diego hoped he sounded sincere enough.

"What nonsense!" De Soto snorted.

Diego shrugged his shoulders. "It's up to you, alcalde, but I've heard that this tends to get worse the more it happens, and it takes more and more time to reduce it." He smiled with apparent embarrassment. "Maybe I shouldn't have put it that way."

De Soto glared at him. "I'll give this a try, but I think it's mostly nonsense."

"Well, it's the best I can do," Diego said. "But I think you'll see a change tomorrow."

"I hope so," De Soto replied. He left clutching the bottle in his hand.

Diego had to wonder how De Soto could not notice that it was really only his clothes and his desk that were changing size. He had never yet been able to understand the ability of the human mind to be fooled by the power of suggestion. Someday, he'd need to make a closer study.

The rest of the day he spent working with his father. It was a relief to not be always disappointing him now. He still had to be careful enough that his excuses would still be believable when he needed them to be, but now he could do more to be a help rather than a hindrance.

Once they'd gotten home, Diego went to get cleaned up, before walking into the library. His father was already there, sitting in a chair.

"Going to see Victoria this afternoon?" Alejandro asked.

"If you don't mind," Diego replied.

"Of course not. You _should_ spend time with her," Alejandro said, taking a deep breath, pausing slightly before continuing, "Diego, there's something I wanted to ask you about."

"What is it, Father?" Diego asked, sitting down near him, a little nervous at Alejandro's tone. Was it about Zorro's involvement with the plan? Did he suspect?

What he wasn't expecting was what Alejandro said instead. "Your courtship with Victoria..." Alejandro broke off, apparently looking for the right words.

Diego was confused; he knew his father approved of Victoria, so he wasn't sure what he was trying to say. "What about it?"

"She's a very spirited young lady," Alejandro said.

"I know," Diego replied, still confused. "It's one of her best qualities."

Alejandro sighed slightly, finally coming out with his concerns. "Are you sure you're courting her in the best way? She's always seemed to prefer men of action. Books and music, do they really interest her?"

Finally understanding his father's concerns, Diego said, "She seems to genuinely enjoy them. Perhaps, she likes the change." He wasn't going to add that there was a little more to their courtship than books and music. As relatively innocent as their kisses were, he didn't really think his father would approve.

Alejandro got an introspective look on his face and a reminiscent smile crossed his face. "I suppose that is possible," he said slowly. "Did I ever tell you about my courtship of your mother?"

"Not really," Diego said. His father rarely talked about his mother, and he was interested. "I'd like to hear about it though."

Leaning back in his seat, Alejandro began speaking. "Well, it actually starts with your grandfather and grandmother. You know your grandfather insisted on making sure I had a classical education. He said he didn't want any son of his to be either an ignorant soldier or ranchero, and your grandmother insisted on my learning music so as to appear more refined to any proper young lady. I thought it was pointless, and it didn't seem to matter that much here, but of course, they sent me to Spain to get proper training as a soldier. And I wanted to be a soldier and fight for the king. Love—" he paused, clearly leaving something out, "for various reasons, I wasn't too interested in love at the time. My studies and training kept me busy, and then I was an officer and had my first taste of war. I could hardly think of anything as serious as love and commitment, until, of course, I met your mother.

"It was at a ball shortly after my return to Madrid, and your mother was the most beautiful and popular woman there. All the young officers were vying for her attention, but I was the brash young man who managed to secure it for most the evening. And every free day after that. Many people seemed surprised that she'd want to spend time with someone like me; she was interested in art, in poetry, in music, in books. You inherit that from her. I had never been that interested before I met her, but the way she would talk about all those things, they were suddenly the most fascinating things I'd ever heard, and she seemed to feel that way when I described California. No one would have expected us to fall in love, and yet it was as if we'd found our other half. That's why I always called her Felicidad. I was never more fortunate than when I won her love," Alejandro said, his eyes glistening slightly. "I want that for you too, Diego."

After what his father said, he was determined to be partially honest. He owed him that much. No, he owed him more, but it wasn't safe to give him more than he did. At least he could assure him on this point. "I've been in love with Victoria for a long time. It's only recently that I thought she might be willing to give me a chance." That was most certainly true. He smiled as he thought of Victoria. "What you felt for my mother is what I feel for her. I don't think you need to worry. She doesn't seem to mind my quiet ways."

"I am glad to hear it," Alejandro said, looking relieved. "You know, the weather's gotten warmer. It might be a good idea to take her on a picnic tomorrow, if she's willing. Fresh air would do you both good."

"You have a point," Diego said, while refraining from pointing out he'd spent much of the day in the fresh air. After all, there was nothing that he liked better than spending time with Victoria. "I'll ask her."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego had a late night ahead of him once he returned from the tavern, since Zorro had to slip into the alcalde's rooms and restore everything to its proper order. He crept in silently and took a close look at De Soto, who was sleeping very soundly. At his bedside was the empty bottle of cactus tea. De Soto should sleep well into the morning, and if he and Victoria were very lucky they should be away on their picnic before De Soto emerged from the cuartel. Once Zorro finished putting everything back the way it had been, making a bundle of the oversized clothes, he made a vow not to play any more pranks this elaborate if he didn't have a way out planned in the end. Or at least something that wouldn't require so much work on his part. He was glad to get finished and return home to get some rest.

The morning was bright and warm, a relief after the recent cold. There were no difficulties. When he went to town to pick up Victoria, Diego was relieved to hear that De Soto was still apparently sleeping. He really didn't want to deal with him today. If all went well, De Soto would feel cured, and that would be that.

Felipe went along with them. He wanted a chance to go fishing and disappeared with the second basket that had been packed the moment they reached the spot not too far from the river. There was a shady tree, and Diego spread out a blanket for them.

"Your father's idea?" Victoria asked, sitting down while Diego brought the basket closer.

"I'm afraid so. I think he's a little worried about my ideas of romance, though I hope I reassured him a little," Diego said.

"What did you tell him?" Victoria said.

"Not too much, just that you seemed to like my quiet side," Diego said, taking her hand in his. "Though I do recall you complaining about my tendency to kiss your hand."

He lifted her hand to his lips, turning it over to tenderly kiss the palm, then moved to her wrist before turning it again in order to place kisses on the back as well as between her knuckles, and the tips of her fingers. Victoria's breathing grew shallow, and her eyes closed. He finished by placing one last lingering kiss to her palm before placing it in her lap. Victoria didn't move for a long minute. Then she opened her eyes.

"Well?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't think I was complaining about _you_ ," she said, a little breathlessly. "Though now I have to wonder..." her voice trailed off as she looked past Diego's shoulder. "I don't mean to ruin your day, but I think our alcalde has found us."

Diego turned and repressed a groan as he saw De Soto approaching. Victoria grabbed his hand. At least De Soto didn't look unhappy, but Diego wished he'd stayed in town where he belonged.

"Don Diego!" he exclaimed. "They told me in the tavern you'd be out here."

Diego shot a look at Victoria, who shrugged. Plastering a fake smile on his face, he said, "And what brings you out here in such a hurry, Ignacio."

"The cure, it worked perfectly," he said. "It's amazing. When I woke up, everything was back to normal, and I feel wonderful."

"I'm very pleased for you," Diego said. "I was hoping it would work."

"But what is this nonsense about stress and Zorro?" De Soto asked sitting without invitation.

Diego could see Victoria's irritation out of the corner of his eye and squeezed her hand gently. He put on his blandest face and said, "Well, he does seem to be the largest source of stress to you, one it might be good for you to avoid for a while."

"And just how am I supposed to do that?" De Soto growled. "He's worse than a pestilence."

Diego kept his voice neutral and mild. "I'm not sure, alcalde, but he does seem to be a bit of a showoff, eager to play the hero of the pueblo. Perhaps, if he didn't have any reason..."

"Are you seriously trying to get me to stop trying to trap..." De Soto broke off and stared into space for a moment before a smile crossed his face and a sinister chuckle came from his lips. "You might just have a point there. If Zorro isn't given the excuse to pretend to be the hero, he's bound to show his true colors."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand," Diego said.

De Soto let out another snort of laughter. "Of course not, you're a man of..." He stopped in mid-sentence, as if he'd just remembered he was grateful to Diego and shouldn't insult him. Clearly reaching, he continued, "... intellect... not strategy. It's so simple. Zorro loves the limelight. Looking heroic. Receiving adulation. He isn't going to be able to stand doing nothing, so if he can't look like a hero, he'll show himself as the villain he truly is. The people will no longer defend him, and his capture will be assured." He stood up. "It's brilliant in its simplicity." He looked down at Diego and Victoria. "Gracias again, Diego. I'll leave you to your picnic." He strode away, still chuckling.

Victoria looked after De Soto. "What just happened?" she asked, bemused.

"I'm not sure," Diego said, equally bewildered. "I think... De Soto's planning to behave himself in the hopes that Zorro will get bored and commit a crime." He had no idea how that made sense to De Soto. Maybe he was still suffering some after-effects of the tea.

"He'll have a long wait then," Victoria said. She turned to Diego with a flirtatious smile. "And what will you do while Zorro has a vacation?"

He was still looking in the direction De Soto had disappeared. "I don't know, perhaps indulge in my... intellectual pursuits," he said.

"Oh, not more philosophical ones?" Victoria asked.

"Philosophical ones?" Diego raised an eyebrow curiously as he turned towards her.

"Yes," Victoria said, looking into his eyes. "Such as: how can you court a woman with only half your attention on her?"

Diego smiled at her slyly. "Oh, believe me, Señorita, you have my undivided attention," he said, leaning forward to give her a kiss.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another story that takes a slightly different path. Instead of being set during the episode, this starts immediately after "Turning the Tables" ends. After all, Diego did say that if De Soto came to the hacienda the next day he might be able to think of something to cure his "condition" of Napoleon's Shrinking disease. So the original episode happens pretty much as seen, only Diego and Victoria are publicly courting (not something that makes any change to the plot), and Victoria was slightly more complicit in the plan. All in all this is meant to be a pleasant bit of fluff.
> 
> Next Up: "A Love Remembered."


	8. Love's Not Time's Fool (A Love Remembered)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is sometimes bitter sweet, and memories can be painful as well as pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gary Stephen Rieck wrote "A Love Remembered" and anything you recognize is his.

Diego walked into the tavern, after a busy morning getting out the latest edition of _The Guardian_. It was tiring but satisfying work, something he enjoyed doing as himself. He had to walk lines carefully, but there was much satisfaction in being able to print the truth and do his part for the community without fear of suspicions of his other identity.

Not that he had anything particularly contentious to print this week, as De Soto had done nothing to warrant even careful criticism for the past couple of weeks after his "recovery." Apparently he was actually going through with his plan to bore Zorro into action, though Diego feared that De Soto would be the one to get impatient. But he wouldn't complain about the break. The only notable news was that of some horses being stolen, including one of his father's.

The tavern was busy as usual. Diego was only able to get a moment with Victoria to kiss her hand before she had to rush off to do something else, but he didn't mind. Just being near her was enough for him, especially since he and his father were going to a cattle auction in Santa Paula the next day and he wouldn't be able to see her at all. Also, though he wouldn't say it to anyone, he was glad of an excuse to be in town, because his father had been in a foul mood ever since the horse had been stolen. Much as he loved his father, sometimes his moods could be a bit much to bear. In fact, just to ease his father's temper, he'd been tempted to ride as Zorro to track the thief or thieves, but since no one had been harmed, he thought it would be better not to risk encountering De Soto, whose good behavior he thought was worth a little annoyance at home.

Victoria stopped by his table briefly, bringing him some lemonade. "Such a busy morning," she said, before glancing at the window. "And now the San Diego coach is here."

"Well, that is at least good for your business," he said with an understanding smile. "And if nothing else, I can admire you from a distance." In a lower voice, he added, "It reminds me of the days when I didn't dare say a word to you."

Returning his smile, Victoria said, "Well, look all you like, señor, but now I've got to go see if I've got any guests." She turned and headed for the door, and he did watch her.

He didn't think she realized how beautiful she was, so elegant in motion; it had always been one of his great pleasures to simply watch her. Happily, he'd chosen to sit at a table which gave him an occasional view of her through the window. He was surprised when she suddenly came back inside in a hurry.

"Diego," she said, "your father and De Soto are fighting; it looks ugly."

Not wasting any time, Diego was on his feet and out the door, hoping it wasn't too serious. Unfortunately, what he saw was De Soto pointing a pistol at his father. He started across the plaza at a run, shouting to get his father's attention. "Father, what's going on?"

"Him!" was all his father said, as Diego reached them, knocking down De Soto's pistol as he got between them. Diego was wondering what he'd need to do when his father spoke again.

"Miguel, take the horse to Father Benites. Tell him I'll be waiting for a court ruling," Alejandro said forcefully.

He started toward De Soto but Diego stopped him. Diego recognized the horse as the one stolen from his father and was now regretting his initial inaction in trying to track the stolen animal. His father was furious, and De Soto's pride was stung, and this had all the makings of a bad situation.

His father did not help things by adding, "I just wonder what Governor Algana will say when he finds out his... famous alcalde from Los Angeles is riding around on stolen property." Diego shot his father a warning look and apparently satisfied with his last pointed remark, he turned away contemptuously, saying, "I'm starving, Diego." He headed toward the tavern at a quick walk.

Diego was relieved that it hadn't escalated and hoped that once his father had lunch, he might be in a calmer mood. He didn't want him antagonizing De Soto unnecessarily. Bad enough that De Soto would be shown to have foolishly bought a stolen horse. If only De Soto would actually show some good sense for once, but no, it was all arrogance and ambition and the desire to get things easily rather than earn them.

So lost in thought was he that he hardly noticed the woman speaking to his father. He'd stopped because Alejandro had stopped. It was only when his father pulled the woman into an enthusiastic hug that he realized that she was more than just an old acquaintance. He coughed in order to remind his father he was standing there.

Alejandro turned and recollecting himself said, "Oh, forgive me. This is my son, Diego. Diego, this is la señorita Mercedes Henche."

"How do you do?" Diego said politely, hoping his father would explain a little more.

He did. Arm still around her, Alejandro said, "Long before I ever met your mother, this lady was the love of my life."

Shocked, the one thought that went through Diego's head was: _So this was why he wasn't too interested in love when he went to Spain._

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego was glad that Victoria had agreed to come to dinner that evening. She had been a bit hesitant, but since Señora Villero was her only overnight guest, she agreed once Diego told her that they could make their excuses after dinner, since they both had early days to look forward to. He was sure that his father wouldn't mind their leaving and suspected that he had already forgotten the cattle auction.

Dinner was enjoyable. Mercedes was very pleasant, and it was interesting to hear her and his father reminiscing about their youth, tales that he hadn't heard or at least not quite the versions he was hearing now. Victoria seemed to be enjoying things as well, though at least she spared him by not sharing some of the embarrassing moments from their own youth that his father hadn't known about. She had had a far better idea of some of the things he and her brothers had gotten up to than any one else.

"I must have been around fifteen or seventeen at the time," his father was saying. "I practiced night and day. I wanted to be the best swordsman in the whole world with both hands."

Diego smiled a little as he thought that while he had not equal skill with both, he had come pretty close. Victoria seemed to know what he was thinking, though she tried to keep her expression neutral.

"As I recall, you had other things on your mind that night," Mercedes interrupted with a significant smile.

"Ah, Father, you never told me about that part of your youth," Diego said, recalling more than a few lectures about responsibility and the behavior of a gentleman.

"Well, let's just say I didn't want to spend the best years of my life cooped up with books, Diego," Alejandro said.

"Oh, I don't think that Diego spends his time entirely cooped up with books," Victoria interjected, glancing back at him.

"True," Alejandro said. "Though I had my doubts for a while." He smiled at Victoria. "Perhaps, I ought to thank you for that."

"I don't think so. Diego's always been interested in so many things," Victoria said. "It just took me a while to really appreciate them properly."

Diego smiled at her. "And I'm grateful that you don't seem to mind even the parts that you aren't interested in."

Alejandro shook his head a little indulgently. "I'll get some more coffee. With your permission." He stood and left the room.

Victoria looked over at Diego for a moment, her eyes shifting towards the front door. Diego wished he'd said something before his father had left the table.

Mercedes broke the silence by saying, "You love your father, don't you?"

"Yes," Diego said, while adding in a more light-hearted way, "Although there are times when he does his best to make it difficult." He looked at Victoria. "Are you..."

His father's voice interrupted, but Victoria still nodded. When Alejandro came in, Diego stood up and walked to Victoria's chair.

"Ah, father, if you'll excuse us, Victoria and I thought we'd take a walk in the garden before I take her back to the tavern, since we both have to be up early tomorrow," Diego said. "Oh, before I forget, are you coming with me to Santa Paula tomorrow?"

"Oh, the cattle auction," Alejandro said. As Diego suspected, he'd forgotten it.

"Well, why don't you show Mercedes around her rancho, and I'll take care of the auction myself?" Diego asked, though that was what he'd thought was probable especially after seeing them together during dinner. "And since you don't have to be up so early, I'm sure you won't mind seeing her back to the tavern later," Diego added, figuring that his father wanted to be alone with Mercedes very much as he wanted to be alone with Victoria.

"Thank you," Alejandro said. "Good night, Victoria."

"Buenas noches, Don Alejandro, Señora Villero," Victoria said, as she stood up.

Diego offered her his arm as they headed out of the house. They were silent until they were in the garden.

"Thank you for coming tonight," he said, taking her hands and kissing them.

"I'm always glad to," Victoria said. "Especially for such an interesting evening."

"Yes, I don't think I've seen that side of my father before," Diego said.

Victoria looked him in the eye. "Does it bother you? His old love coming back into his life?"

Diego sighed. "I really can't say. I mean I'm glad to see him happy, but..."

"It bothers you a little?" Victoria finished.

"Unfair, I know," Diego said. "Mother's been gone a long time, and he shouldn't have to be alone."

"Would you mind really?" Victoria asked.

"It's one more person in the house to hide from," Diego said, then looked at Victoria. "Would you mind?"

"What?"

"Sharing the house with another woman," Diego said. "As my father's wife, she'd be mistress of the household."

Victoria smiled at him. "Diego, I'm not particularly interested in what position I'd have here except in relation to you." She blushed under the look he gave her but said, "Did you really come out here to talk about your father?"

Diego slipped his arms around her waist. "No, I didn't. I'm going to miss you, querida."

He leaned down to give her a kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer as the kiss deepened.

"Diego!" Alejandro's voice broke through from a distance.

Reluctantly Diego released Victoria and stepped back. "Why does he always manage to interrupt us out here?" he asked with a wry smile.

"At least you don't have to climb over the wall again," Victoria whispered.

Alejandro appeared before Diego could say another word. "Oh, good, son, you're still here. To save her expense, I've invited Mercedes to stay with us, and I thought since you would be taking Victoria back to the tavern, you could pick up her bags." He looked at Victoria. "I'm sorry to deprive you of your guest, but..."

"Oh, I understand, Don Alejandro," Victoria said. "It will be more convenient for everyone, I think,"

"Good then, though we'll pay for tonight, at least," Alejandro said. "Diego, I've told Felipe to go with you to help."

"All right, Father, we'll take care of it," Diego said. "We were planning to leave in another fifteen minutes, if that's all right with you."

He could see his father was a bit distracted. "That's fine," he said. "I'll tell the servants, so they can get things ready. I'll see you in the morning son." He started to move away before realizing he hadn't spoken to Victoria again. "Buenas noches, Victoria."

"Buenas noches, Don Alejandro," Victoria said.

Don Alejandro bowed towards her and then turned back to the house.

"It seems my father is in a hurry," Diego said.

"Sí, he is," Victoria replied taking Diego's arm. "And he's left us alone again."

Diego smiled a little. "Yes, for the little time we have." They walked a little way from the house.

Victoria looked up at the clear sky with a reminiscent smile. "I remember how you used to tell me about the stars when we were younger," she said.

"You were always so interested," he said.

"Well, you made the stories of the constellations so fascinating," Victoria said. "The sky became this wonderful canvas of legends. I'd often think about them when you went away." She blushed a little. "Though I will admit that was not the only reason I asked you to tell me about the stars." She glanced at him for a long moment before continuing. "I had the biggest crush on you, and it seemed one of the few ways I could get some time alone with you."

Diego, a small grin tugging at his mouth, reached up to caress her cheek as he leaned towards her ear. "And I thought I was the one taking advantage of the fact that I could spend some time with you," he whispered.

Victoria looked at him in shock. "You never said anything."

"I couldn't," Diego said, blushing slightly himself as he straightened up a little, hand still on her cheek. "You were so young, and I knew I'd soon be going away for four years. And..." he looked a bit rueful, "you had no shortage of suitors. It seemed a little unfair to say anything— then."

Victoria slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Diego wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight. He wondered a little what would have happened if he had said anything. What would have happened if he hadn't let Zorro speak for him when he returned.

Reluctantly, Diego ended the kiss, stepping away. "I'm afraid I need to get you back to the tavern."

Victoria sighed. "I suppose so. We never get enough time together," she said as she took his arm.

Diego couldn't help but agree, though he felt that only once they were married would he feel like they had even remotely enough time together. He was starting to hate the indefinite time line of courtship; he wanted to propose properly soon, especially since he knew his father would want to invite every family member within California and Mexico (Diego knew he'd be lucky if he could convince his father to stop there) and Victoria her brothers. All that would take time, and he'd rather be able to set a date sooner rather than later. Diego had thought he'd be able to judge the right amount of time once his father started hinting strongly, but he hadn't yet. Diego wondered if his father was still uncertain that Victoria would say yes if he asked, and that's why he had done nothing more than encourage their courtship. Now with the return of an old flame into his father's life, he wondered if his father would be too distracted to particularly care. If he was, Diego could use his own judgement.

Diego helped her into the carriage and climbed in beside her, leaving Felipe to drive. Victoria leaned against him quietly, comfortably. He kissed the top of her head, grateful that they could truly be themselves with one another, no more hiding. They'd never really had the opportunity to talk openly before she learned his secret. He'd either been pretending to think of her only as a friend or having to run off to avoid capture, neither exactly conducive for sharing what was in either of their hearts. Even in those first few months after she'd found out, they'd never really had much time together. It had been better, but not as much as when he'd finally been able to start courting her properly. Now they had the chance to really talk, and there was so much to learn. All the small things as well as the great ones.

Victoria looked up at him. "What are you thinking of?" she asked quietly.

He smiled. "You," he said, kissing her forehead, "and how much I'm learning about you now that I never knew."

"I don't think I was all that mysterious. Not like you," she said.

"But you kept your secrets as well," Diego said. "Until tonight I never knew you had another reason for being interested in the stars."

"Well, I didn't know you had another reason for telling me about them, either," Victoria said, lightly. She looked up at him. "So in the interests of honesty, I will say that I'm genuinely enjoying our reading Shakespeare's plays together, above the fact that we're spending time together. It's very nice having you translate the more complicated bits. I don't think I ever could have understood what Dogberry was talking about in _Much Ado About Nothing_."

"Well, I did like reading Benedick to your Beatrice," he said.

They'd recently started reading Shakespeare's plays together, at Victoria's suggestion, though it was Diego who insisted that since they were meant to be performed they should be read aloud. He'd read the male characters, and she the female ones. They tended to use the parts as an excuse to flirt a bit more, but he was glad that she was genuinely enjoying it all. Sometimes he thought he'd been too pushy and didactic about it.

"Well, they seemed to be the only two truly sensible characters, even if they had to be tricked into admitting their feelings," Victoria said. "Claudio was so... hmm... Hero let him off too easily for being fooled into believing the worst. It seems so upside down that Benedick who said he didn't believe in love didn't believe Hero had done what she was accused of, while Claudio the supposed romantic one believed her false on very little evidence." She'd complained at the time that Claudio was an idiot and Hero should have chased him off with a broom. Diego couldn't help but agree.

"Human beings can be strangely contradictory, and Shakespeare captured that better than anyone," Diego said. "But I think we were supposed to think that Claudio was childish, gullible and easily lead. No wonder most people prefer Beatrice and Benedick. I know I did."

"Yes, and we need to start a new play soon," Victoria said. "A different kind."

"Well, if you're in a more bloodthirsty mood, _Macbeth_ might be a good choice."

"Sí, I'd like that. I hear Lady Macbeth is particularly wicked," Victoria said gleefully.

"I'm sure you can bring out all of her cunning and her madness," Diego said. "You've a real talent for acting."

"Not quite at your level," Victoria said, "but I'm learning."

They were almost in town, and Diego tried not to sigh. He leaned down and kissed her. "I love you," he said, softly.

"I love you, Diego," she said. "When will you be back?"

"Tomorrow evening, if I'm lucky," he replied. "I probably won't be able to come into town until the day after."

"I will miss you, but things should be relatively busy, provided the alcalde doesn't do anything particularly obnoxious."

"Hmm, then that's definitely in doubt," Diego said. "If only he hadn't been stupid over that horse."

"He was bound to be stupid over something," Victoria said. "But don't worry. We should be fine."

"I can't help worrying," Diego said, as they came to a stop at the front of the tavern and he helped her out of the carriage. "But I will hope for the best."

~Z~Z~Z~

The tavern wasn't too busy, but there were a few patrons still lingering, so Diego remained very politely outside Señora Villero's room while Victoria packed the few items the señora had taken from her bags. Once they were ready, Diego and Felipe carried them downstairs to the carriage. Diego went back inside to pay for Señora Villero's room, and Victoria walked back outside with him, where he kissed her hand before taking leave. He looked forward to a time when he would not have to leave her with a simple kiss on the hand or at all really. He'd been fighting a melancholy state of mind all evening and now that he'd said good night to Victoria it returned with a vengeance. He was silent all the way home and dismissed Felipe's signed question about his mood saying he was tired.

Once they were home, he left it to the servants to see to Señora Villero's things. He really didn't want to run into his father again, and he was sure that in his nostalgic mood, his father wouldn't want to see his grown-up son. He slipped around the side of the hacienda to get into his room. Changing for bed, he reflected that it seemed likely that his father would be re-married before he was married at all.

He blew out the candle and climbed into bed, not interested in reading. His father's reunion with Mercedes had turned his own thoughts to the past, still wondering what would have happened if he'd said anything to Victoria before leaving for Spain. It still would have been unfair, but it would have meant he'd have avoided the mistake of getting involved with Zafira.

Unlike his father with Mercedes, he couldn't say Zafira was ever really the love of his life. Not even at the height of his infatuation did he really think that. He'd met her at a point when he was feeling lonely, frustrated, and homesick, and the thought of returning home single to see a married Victoria held no appeal to him. She was lovely and sympathetic, and though he'd tried to pretend it wasn't the case, she'd reminded him a bit of Victoria.

He should have known it was a mistake. His aunt Magdalena, a wonderful woman who had acted very much like a mother to him while he'd been in Spain, had warned him to take things slowly, not to mistake infatuation for love. Sir Edmund had been blunter and said when a man had spent so much time in his studies and was so determined to be a gentleman that it was easy to mistake lust for something more. Diego hadn't really listened to either of them; he thought it was love. He wanted to marry, and he didn't want to wait for his father to start trying to arrange a marriage for him.

He'd actually been a bit surprised that Zafira wanted to get married so quickly. He'd expected her parents to want her to wait longer, but he shoved back his doubts the way he'd shoved away advice. Even the priest at the church thought he should be more patient, but he was determined. It didn't matter that it was sudden or that he hadn't told his aunt and uncle or Sir Edmund or apparently she her parents. It was a sign of their devotion, their determination. Or so it seemed until time kept passing, and she never appeared.

It was strange that in wondering what had delayed her, he'd never really considered an accident or illness, just that she'd regretted her sudden acceptance or that her father had stepped in. He could barely make himself go to her home, so positive was he that she'd changed her mind, but he had gone, and it seemed confirmed when the servant told him that Zafira and her parents had left suddenly that afternoon not saying where they were going. Pained and miserable, he'd wandered around Madrid for a while, unwilling to go back to his quarters, as he wasn't up to facing any of his fellow students whose ideas of dealing with broken hearts held no appeal for him.

Eventually, he'd gone to his uncle Cecilio's house, happy to find his aunt and uncle both at home with no plans or visitors, unusual on a Friday evening but most fortunate for him as he was starting to feel a little desperate. One look at him and both insisted he stay the night. His uncle had sat quietly at his desk looking over papers while Diego had talked to his aunt, who he only told that Zafira was gone without mentioning the aborted wedding; he felt like he'd failed them by agreeing to an elopement. Aunt Magdalena had been sympathetic, though he got the impression she knew that there was more to the story than he told her, but she never pried or said, "I told you so." She had such a gentle way about her that it was no wonder that half his uncle's students worshiped at her feet.

Once Diego talked himself out, Uncle Cecilio put away his papers and contrived to distract him with chess and some of his latest scientific studies until late. It was an odd sort of comfort his uncle offered, but it was exactly the kind Diego really wanted at that moment, something completely unrelated to matters of the heart that would allow him to forget about Zafira as much as possible without giving him a hangover or even more regrets.

He had been very grateful to both his aunt and uncle that night. He certainly envied the love he saw between them; it was something he hoped to find himself. Something he wasn't certain he'd lost. If nothing else, they'd made it possible for him to act as if nothing was wrong when he returned to his rooms the next day.

It hadn't been that much longer before he'd been summoned home to California, and he'd gone with a mixed feeling of trepidation and relief. He'd been surprised at how little he thought of Zafira on the voyage back, more concerned about his father's reasons for wanting him to come home as well as wondering if Victoria was indeed still single since his father hadn't said anything else about an actual engagement or marriage in the last letter, where among the small bits of information, he'd been praising Victoria's success with the tavern despite the difficulties.

Diego stared up at the ceiling of his room. He needed his sleep, but he couldn't stop the memories. Had it only been a little more than a year since he'd seen Zafira again? That meeting really had reinforced the fact that it hadn't been her loss that pained him nearly as much as the not knowing why. When they'd met again, he'd told her all the things he meant to say, ask what he meant to ask, but there had been no real force behind his words. All he really wanted to know was what happened.

When Zafira had regretfully commented on the tricks fate played, he'd felt too ashamed to say that he was grateful for that particular trick of fate or that he sometimes shuddered at the thought of returning to Los Angeles either as an engaged or, even worse, married man. He hoped it wasn't true that she still loved him.

It didn't feel true, not with Zafira's _husband_ insisting on it or the way she'd agreed with him. Diego hoped not, but maybe it was just his conscience trying to get past his feelings of guilt. The guilt when he told Zafira that he was not the man she knew, and there was someone else in his life. A partial truth, as at the time Victoria only seemed interested in his other identity, but still his love for Victoria was so strong that his former feelings for Zafira seemed shallow and weak by comparison. That's the truth he wouldn't tell her.

Strangely, the strongest pains during this brief reunion had come from Victoria. Her apparent surprise at his having a past had stung. At the time he thought it was disbelief at the possibility of him being capable of having one, and it bothered him to think that she thought him so innocuous that he wouldn't even have been faced with temptation. It was only during their fight when Juan Ortiz had come back into town that he'd realized that he'd misunderstood. It hadn't been disbelief but disappointment. It had been the same over her questions about the mystery woman in his life. He'd thought she was trying to be a helpful friend, not suffering jealous pangs as he did over his own alter ego.

He wondered what would have happened if he'd never flirted with her as Zorro. That stupid, cocky statement about giving her an opportunity to show her appreciation. He had been unbearably arrogant in the beginning, but he'd thought it would only last a short time then. Now he knew better. _Now_ he was grateful that Victoria had figured things out on her own and found a way out of the trap they'd both been caught in. He still didn't know when Zorro's time would end, but at least, they were no longer putting their own lives on hold waiting for that time.

Would things have been different if only Diego had flirted with her? Tried to court her? He couldn't be sure. He'd been struggling so much in those early days with defining both his masks, Diego's and Zorro's. He knew he had often gone too far in either one with some of his excuses as Diego, some of his behavior as Zorro. Maybe it would have been too difficult to build the masks and try to court Victoria as himself at the same time. But still...

He shook his head to try to clear it. If he didn't get some sleep soon, he'd be in no condition for the auction tomorrow. He had no intention of letting his father down. Resolutely, he closed his eyes and hoped that sleep would come.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego had gotten a slightly later start that morning than he had hoped for, but he still was gone before his father was up, which was unusual. But then Diego expected that he had been up quite late talking with Mercedes. They had been apart for many years after all.

The weather was pleasant enough, and Diego didn't have to be in all that much of a hurry for the auction. It wasn't that important, but they were looking for a new bull. There was a small part of him that wanted to find an excuse to skip it, but he told himself that it was unlikely that De Soto would try to do anything to his father since a messenger had already been sent to the territorial judge.

He wondered how things might change if his father did marry his old love. From a house of all men, there would soon be two women added to the mix. A lot would be different.

Of course, Diego also wondered how things would be if his mother were still alive. Would he ever have been able to fool his mother the way he had his father? Somehow he doubted it. Not the woman who always seemed to know when he'd gotten up to something he shouldn't and who had taught him how to look at the world with an artist's eye. He doubted she would have been fooled by the mask for a moment. He did hope she would have approved. She'd always valued cleverness over shows of strength. Also, while she was never slow to speak her mind, she knew how to be diplomatic, and she'd taught him how to rein in his temper and think before he acted. If nothing else, he knew he never would have been able to hide how he felt about Victoria from her. He still missed her but not enough to resent the thought of his father marrying again.

He had been riding for quite some time when he noticed a horse cutting cross country heading directly for him at a run. He was shocked to recognize Felipe and turned his horse in the direction he was coming from in order to meet him.

Once Felipe had stopped, it had taken a few minutes to understand what he was saying. Diego was shocked to discover that Mercedes husband was not dead, and while in jail the alcalde had been doing everything to excite his anger and jealousy at his father.

"Does my father know about any of this?"

Felipe shook his head and signed that he hadn't been at home. Everything else forgotten, Diego started racing back to the hacienda, hoping that he would be in time to stop whatever the alcalde had set in motion.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was early evening by the time Diego made it back to the cave, leaving Esperanza loose outside. He knew Felipe was following close behind and would take care of both horses. Racing inside, he managed to change into Zorro's clothes faster than he ever had before, unable to fight the sense of urgency.

He hurried to the peephole, in time to see Mercedes throwing herself in front of his father, yelling something that sounded like "Antonio," but before he could act, he heard a shot. Horrified, Zorro watched her fall into his father's arms and moved to the fireplace, hoping that at this time no one would notice him emerging from the secret exit.

No one did. His father was too focused on Mercedes to notice anything else, and the man who shot her, who Zorro could only assume was her husband, only saw them. Zorro crept forward quietly, as Villero, who'd stared in shock at what he'd done, got agitated and started yelling at Alejandro, "This is your fault!" He pulled a sword from a scabbard, and Alejandro barely reacted.

That's when Zorro stepped in front of Villero, blocking his path to his father. He could almost feel his father's pain from where he stood.

"I have no quarrel with you," Villero said.

Anger rushing through him, Zorro said, "Unfortunately, señor, I have one with you."

They fought. Zorro tried to control the rage as he put everything together. "Consider this in your long years in jail, Antonio!" He continued fighting fiercely before slashing a _Z_ into the man's vest. "Your wife deserved your trust and you repaid her with your suspicions and your brutality." He knew his father would have done nothing dishonorable, certainly nothing the alcalde had suggested, and considering what Felipe had told him about why Villero had been thrown into jail, he believed Mercedes had every reason to want to flee from him. In a final burst of anger, he knocked Villero out with a punch.

His anger gone, he turned to look where his father still sat holding Mercedes. Zorro wondered if he'd even noticed the fight at all. He wished he could comfort his father as a son, but that would have to wait. Because of his damned disguise, Diego could only behave as an acquaintance, practically a stranger, but he wouldn't leave his father without a word.

"I share your grief. More than you can ever know, Señor," he said, wishing he could say more. He'd wanted his father to be happy, and he knew that they would have been, if things had been different. He pushed away the question of how it could have worked out with her not really being a widow; it no longer mattered. His father's loss was more important.

His father seemed to barely have heard him when he spoke. "Oh, Zorro, I've lost her once again. Only this time forever."

Knowing he couldn't stay longer, not if he wanted to contrive to come back as Diego this evening, Zorro stood. He grabbed Villero from the floor, tying him to a chair so that he couldn't cause more trouble. The man was still unconscious, and his father hadn't moved from the floor, so Zorro slipped back into the cave as quietly as he emerged.

He changed back into his clothes, slowly this time. He no longer needed to hurry. Diego wouldn't be able to show up again for at least half an hour. It would probably take him that long to compose himself to pretend to be ignorant of the tragedy. He walked back outside, where as he expected he found Felipe with the horses. He told him what had happened and told him to get back to the house as soon as possible. No one needed to know that he'd ridden for Diego, and Diego wanted someone with his father now.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was the afternoon after the funeral. Mercedes had been buried, and Padre Benites had returned to the church. Alejandro had insisted on having her buried on her family land. It was where she belonged, he'd insisted and he was donating her land to the people of Los Angeles, a truly generous gift, but Diego suspected there was more to it than he'd said. A tribute to the woman he'd lost twice.

Victoria had, of course, come to show her support for the family. She and Diego hadn't really had a chance to talk since Mercedes died. Felipe had been the one to tell her what had happened at the hacienda. Diego had been more focused on his father and brooding over what to do about De Soto.

He knew that De Soto had filled Villero's head with lies and aimed him at his father like a loaded gun, even if he couldn't prove it. Diego had seen De Soto briefly; he'd still been at the hacienda when Diego had returned. He'd seemed chastened and a bit guilt-ridden. But what had De Soto expected? Usually, De Soto's schemes ended up hurting only himself. This time De Soto's pride had cost an innocent woman her life. Would he really not have been bothered if it been Alejandro who had died?

Diego felt his own sharp pangs of guilt as he had known De Soto might try something, he just hadn't expected anything like this. If he had only stayed behind, he could have been there to stop things before they started. Only his father's immediate grief had prevented Zorro from paying a visit to the alcalde that he may or may not have regretted. He still wasn't sure what he should do. He knew that vengeance was a hollow thing, but he was tempted, so very tempted to exact it.

His father and Victoria put their flowers on the grave. Diego had always been glad to see the genuine affection between the two of them. He watched them walk together while he stayed back with Felipe. He realized he'd forgotten to thank him for the timely warning. He'd come too close to losing his father.

As they walked, Diego was surprised to see Mendoza riding toward them leading his father's horse.

"Buenos días," Mendoza said in response to Don Alejandro's greeting. "The Alcalde asked me to bring back your horse. He says it's yours. He doesn't want the five hundred pesos."

"Really? That's remarkable. I suppose he didn't want to explain himself to the governor, right?" Alejandro said, sarcastically, clearly wondering at the alcalde's change of heart.

Mendoza didn't seem to have any idea himself. "Well, I don't know, Don Alejandro. I think he felt a little guilty."

Diego moved forward to take charge of Pilla from Mendoza. At that moment, he knew exactly why De Soto had returned the horse even if no one else did. He felt too guilty about what he had done to want to have anything more to do with what had prompted his evil scheme. Diego was too lost in thought to pay attention to what was being said before Mendoza started off. He hadn't even noticed that Victoria was on the other side of Pilla.

His father snorted indignantly. "Typical of De Soto, Diego. Heaven forbid he'd come to me face to face and admit that he is wrong."

Diego agreed, but then this was a sign that De Soto had some spark of conscience. Maybe it would be a mistake for Zorro to approach him. "This was a big step for our alcalde, Father."

Victoria looked at Diego as if she could read his thoughts as she said, "Well, perhaps the Alcalde is human after all."

"All any of us poor humans can do is try to forgive and forget," Diego said, referring specifically to the entire quarrel over the horse, knowing that he could never tell his father what De Soto had done. His father could never forgive that, and the fallout would be devastating.

Diego handed the rope over to Felipe who started leading Pilla towards the wagon. His father followed, still shaking his head over De Soto's inexplicable behavior. Hanging back, lost in thought, Diego was almost surprised when Victoria took his hand.

He looked down at her. "Thank you for being here for him," he said softly.

"He's been like a father to me," she replied, looking deep into his eyes, "but I'm here for you too. It's not your fault, Diego."

She really was starting to know him too well. "I should have been there," he whispered.

"You can't be everywhere," she said. "You can't anticipate everything. No one could have anticipated this."

He shook his head. "No, but that doesn't make it any easier."

"Then take your own advice and forgive yourself," Victoria said. "You've always done the best you can, and your best has always been beyond what anyone could expect. You really are the most wonderful man I've ever known. But the best thing about you is how you care about everyone and how you help everyone. That's something you've never been able to hide behind a mask. In the days before I knew, what often frustrated me was not understanding how you could care so much and yet at times of crisis apparently do so little."

Diego smiled weakly and looked over at his father. "I just wish I could help him now."

Victoria wrapped both of her hands about his. "You can help him."

"How?"

"Don Alejandro loves you very much and what he wants more than anything is for you to find happiness in your own life."

Diego lifted Victoria's hand to his lips. "I already have."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely not my usual kind of story. I suppose it's a blessing and a curse of this particularly AU that it forces me to tackle stories that aren't quite what I'd normally write. 
> 
> I didn't want to just follow the episode, but there wasn't that much I saw changing other than Victoria's presence at dinner, so I thought that since Alejandro was waxing nostalgic, it might prompt a bit of trip down memory lane for Diego, some of his memories being not quite so cheery.
> 
> Also, in this particular series, his Aunt Magdalena, who is married to Diego's mother's brother, is the Magdalena with the most beautiful blue eyes mentioned in "Sanctuary." I know that if she ever rates even a passing mention in fanfiction it is usually as some kind of past romantic interest, but I'm contrary-minded and thought that since he was mentioning her to a kind-hearted married woman who was helping him when in trouble that the other Magdalena should be as well. I liked the parallelism. I also liked the idea of his having a rather scholarly uncle as well. 
> 
> And of course, I never really liked Zafira in "The Old Flame," and despite his words to her, Diego never seemed that particularly heart-broken, wounded perhaps, but he seemed to recover very rapidly, so that kind of influenced my version of their relationship.
> 
> I did have a hard time with Zorro's line: "Your wife deserved your trust and you repaid her with your suspicions and your brutality." I mean, how could he know, since the last Diego had heard Mercedes was claiming her husband was dead, and she'd only told his father how miserable she'd been. I very much doubt that Diego would have wanted to eavesdrop on any of their conversations, or that his father would casually mention it over breakfast. But I left it in any way, figuring that Diego would have thought the best of Mercedes and the description of Villero's behavior in town and his reaction to the alcalde's goading would have given Diego his reasons for coming up with the rest.
> 
> Next up: A story set after "Mendoza the Malevolent."


	9. Rosemary for Remembrance (After Mendoza the Malevolent)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The language of flowers and father-son disagreements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is set after "Mendoza the Malevolent" written by Robert L. McCullough.

Shortly before siesta, Diego walked into the tavern carrying a basket on the top of which was a bouquet of flowers, carefully chosen from both the wild and the de la Vega garden. There were only a few patrons left, including Sergeant Mendoza. Diego gave him a wave before heading over to the bar, where Victoria smiled at him. She'd missed him these past two days. He hadn't been to town since the evening after Zorro had foiled the bandits who'd been responsible for Mendoza's apparent death and amnesia. They'd had dinner together; Victoria had let her girls handle the customers, and do much of the cooking except for Mendoza's tamales and her and Diego's dinner. Even if they'd had to have an audience of sorts, it had been a pleasant evening.

"Buenas tardes, Victoria," he said, putting the basket on the bar before taking her hand for a kiss. He lifted the flowers from the top of the basket and handed them to her.

"Gracias, Diego," Victoria said. "They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as the lady before me," Diego said softly.

"Ah, you are in a charming mood today," Victoria said, then smiled at him teasingly. "It almost makes up for your being absent from town the last two days."

"Forgive me," Diego said. "I'm afraid I lost track of time over my studies."

"What this time?" Victoria asked.

"A few of the wonders of nature," Diego said.

"I know I can't compete with the wonders of nature," Victoria said in a teasing tone of voice.

"Victoria, you know I think you are the most beautiful wonder of nature," Diego said. "But..."

"You couldn't help but get absorbed in your subject," Victoria finished for him. "I did miss you."

"And I you," he whispered, then spoke up louder. "Actually, I brought more than the flowers for you, but Father insisted that I should give you something a bit more frivolous first to make up for my delinquency." He smiled at her, the one that made her melt a little every time she saw it. "I thought you could use some fresh herbs."

She looked into the basket. "Beautiful yet practical. You know me very well, Diego."

Diego leaned forward to whisper again. "Not as well as I hope to."

Victoria flushed slightly, but before she could respond, Don Alejandro's voice broke in. "Diego, I hope you're not telling her you like her practicality."

Victoria saw Diego set his jaw, and he couldn't quite hide the annoyance in his eyes as he turned around to see that his father had entered the tavern without either of them being aware of it. She busied herself putting the flowers into a vase she had sitting under the bar, hoping she wouldn't need to provide a distraction.

"No, Father, I wasn't, but it is an admirable quality," Diego said.

"But not the best one for the woman you haven't seen in two days because you've been too busy studying _blackberries_ ," Alejandro said in an irritated undertone though the last word carried across to Mendoza.

"Blackberries? Not you, too, Don Diego. The alcalde's still upset about Sepulveda eating them. He has him mucking out the stables for the next three weeks, and he has to eat in the garrison for that long too."

"A truly terrible punishment," Diego said with a slight smile. "But I must admit that I had a certain curiosity about our alcalde's obsessive love of them, and I didn't think I should ask him."

"Because then you would have most likely have discovered he's just a glutton who doesn't want to share now that blackberry season is almost at an end. Sometimes, son, you think too much," Alejandro said in a jocular tone that didn't really disguise genuine irritation.

"I'd rather think too much than..." Diego started to say before biting off his words.

Victoria wondered what was going on between them. Alejandro looked at Diego for a moment and then glancing at Victoria, seemed to recall his manners and turned to Mendoza.

"Ah, Sergeant, how are you doing? Headache gone now?"

"Gracias, Don Alejandro," Mendoza said. "I'm all better. I just wish I could remember what happened. It all seems so unbelievable."

"Well, perhaps it's better not to try," Alejandro said. "I think this is probably one of those cases when ignorance is definitely bliss."

"Sí, I think you're right, Don Alejandro," Mendoza said, looking around. "On second thought, I don't think I want to know. It would probably be nothing but unpleasant. I think I'll just be happy that it's not me who's in the alcalde's bad books right now."

"Good idea," Don Alejandro said with a laugh.

Wanting a moment alone with Diego, Victoria spoke to him. "Diego, would you carry the basket into the kitchen for me?"

"Certainly," Diego said picking it up.

Victoria followed him into the kitchen and watched him put the basket on the counter before turning back to her. Looking at the curtain, Diego swiftly stepped forward to place a light kiss on her lips.

Victoria hugged him just as briefly before asking the question that had been on her mind. "What is going on with you and your father? Is it just about your studies?" As she finished speaking she signed a small _Z_ in front of her.

Diego sighed. "Not entirely. I think he still blames me a little for not coming back to the tavern with you and preventing Mendoza from robbing you, and I'm not sure he thinks I reacted properly. But strangely, he hasn't actually said anything directly which worries me a little. It's not like him to hint around rather than coming right out and saying what's on his mind."

"I'm sorry, I hadn't thought he'd still be dwelling on it. I don't know how he can blame you. I insisted, and I think you behaved exactly as you should." A thought struck her. "He isn't wondering about where we went, is he? I mean, he wouldn't think..." Victoria looked a bit embarrassed.

Diego smiled a little sadly. "No, he never bothered to ask, and I have my doubts that he believes I could behave improperly at all, or he wouldn't trust us alone as much as he does." He looked at her and smiled more genuinely at her look of disbelief. "Oh, querida, you seemed to think I was harmless for a long time."

Victoria lifted a hand to caress his cheek. "No, Diego, I never thought you were _harmless_. I thought you weren't interested in me; there's a difference."

Diego took her hand and kissed the palm. "True, that is a difference. I don't think my father's noticed, however." He leaned down for a kiss, before straightening up and taking a deep breath. "Don't worry. Sometimes my father and I simply don't agree on how a de la Vega should behave, and even without some of my more esoteric studies," he signed a Z of his own, "there are bound to be times like this when we seem to irritate each other for no specific reason at all." He sighed and looked at the basket on the counter. "Though I admit I didn't help by immediately starting researching blackberries right after my previous abstraction. But I certainly think that it was important, even if I didn't learn anything concrete. After all, De Soto was behaving oddly even for him. For an ambitious man to ignore the apparent death of his sergeant in order to catch a blackberry thief... I had to wonder if there was something more to it."

"And did you find the answer you were looking for?"

Diego shook his head. "No, I didn't. If there's something odd about the blackberries, it seems peculiar to De Soto, and there's not much I can do about it. However, as I was looking through the library, I did find something interesting." He pulled a slender book from inside his jacket and handed it to her.

Victoria looked at the title, _The Language of the Flowering World_. "What is this about?"

"It's about the historical/mythological symbolism of plants. There was an interesting bit on blackberries being symbols of remorse."

"Our alcalde has a lot to be remorseful for."

"True, but I hardly think that explains his behavior. However, I found many of the meanings fascinating." He leaned close to her ear. "In fact, there is a message for you in both the flowers and the basket, if you take the time to read it."

Victoria grinned. "That sounds like fun. Although," she looked in the basket, "I know that rosemary is for remembrance." _And weddings_ , she thought though she didn't say that aloud as she wasn't sure that's what he wanted her to take from it. "And I notice that there are no blackberries."

"I'd hardly want to give De Soto a reason to confiscate them," Diego said.

"And he would, too," Victoria said, "even if he's been acting normal again."

"Normal is such a relative term for our alcalde," Diego said.

"I wish 'good-natured' was a word for our alcalde," Victoria said.

"We both do," he replied. He kissed her hand again. "I suppose we should return to the main room. I'm not entirely sure if I want my father to start wondering how harmless I am."

"Or how I behave as well?" Victoria teased him.

"Querida, you are always perfect," Diego said, though he leaned close when he added, "and perfectly tempting."

"Hmm, you're not the only one who suffers from temptation," she whispered back, kissing his cheek as she finished speaking. Then before he could respond she slipped out of the kitchen ahead of him.

Diego and his father didn't stay too long afterwards, but Victoria was relieved to see that the brief separation was enough to get them both in better moods. Diego was the last one out before she locked the tavern doors, and she managed to get one last kiss from him before he left, brief but more satisfactory. He really was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Even back when she'd thought they were separate people she had on occasion wondered if Zorro could be as handsome beneath his mask, before in embarrassment trying to pretend that thought hadn't crossed her mind.

She wondered if he'd even noticed the number of young women who'd noticed his good looks even if he'd gotten the reputation for being hopeless when it came to matters of the heart. She certainly had, and she could name every señorita Don Alejandro had tried to get Diego to show an interest in, though she'd lied to herself about being concerned with Diego not settling for the wrong woman. Well, technically that hadn't been a lie, as deep down, the only woman she thought right for Diego was her. And that particularly jealousy was separate from all the women who'd practically swooned over Zorro as much as she had. She still blushed at the memory of her fight with Diego's cousin's fiancée.

Shaking her head at her own former foolishness, Victoria found a sheet of paper and wrote down the names of the flowers and herbs Diego had brought her, before sitting down at a table with the book he had left. He'd left a folded message in the front of the book apologizing for the limitations of the time of year, that spring would have allowed him to express himself more fully.

Even with those limitations, she couldn't help but feel the warmth of his message as she learned the meanings behind what he had given her. Some she had already known about; some were new. Remembrance, love, passion, cheerfulness and grace, beauty, sensuality, esteem, delicacy, and unity. She smiled as she considered all the message. No one really seemed to see the romantic in Diego, or even notice how truly passionate his nature was. She saw it in the way he threw himself into the newspaper work, in the beauty of his music and art, the way he'd lose himself in the latest scientific discoveries. All separate from the more flamboyant persona he put on as Zorro, but she loved it all the same.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego had managed to avoid his father for much of the afternoon. Despite the fact that his father seemed to have reined in his critical mood earlier, Diego knew Alejandro was still irritated with him. He wished his father would just come out and tell him which particular failing was annoying him most right now. Or maybe it had nothing to do with Diego but rather his recent loss.

His father was more inclined to anger than to grief, and he was disinclined to talk about it. Back when that false medium had claimed to have spoken to Diego's mother, that had been the longest conversation they'd had about her in years, and it had been barely a conversation at all. He'd been genuinely surprised and pleased when his father had told him a little about their courtship days, but that was a far cry from talking about her loss.

It was the same with Mercedes. Only Zorro had gotten to see the full strength of Alejandro's grief, and Alejandro had seemed only barely aware of his presence. By the time Diego had returned home, his father appeared numb but controlled, and he hadn't mentioned Mercedes since the day of the funeral. The remnants of his grief and pain seemed to have disappeared from the moment they'd returned home that day though Diego knew they were still there, just below the surface, and he had learned to not to press his father too much. Things had seemed to return to normal, though Alejandro was not in the best of humors, and Diego tried hard not to aggravate him, with only limited success.

Then they'd thought Mendoza had died, followed by the revelation that he not only wasn't dead but had been convinced he was a bandit and had robbed the tavern. He knew he'd annoyed his father that day, first because he'd tried to get away when he first heard the news of Mendoza's death by claiming illness and then because he hadn't insisted on going with Victoria back to the tavern. At least, he'd seemed to have redeemed himself a little by taking Victoria with him back to the hacienda after she'd been robbed, though he'd ridden out again as Zorro and Victoria had spent some time in the cave waiting for his return.

It was strange that his father hadn't asked what they'd been doing while Zorro was dealing with the bandits. Perhaps he assumed they were sitting and reading quietly. He wasn't sure if his father was glad that Victoria had agreed to leave town or if he thought Diego was a depressing influence on her. He didn't dare ask the question, as he was afraid that he might open himself to more probing questions from his father.

Perhaps it _had_ been foolish to get wrapped in studying blackberries after everything was over, but he'd wondered at De Soto's behavior and thought perhaps that the berries might have been tainted in some way, though it seemed odd that only De Soto would be affected. But then no one had every been able to properly explain why some people seem particularly susceptible to certain chemical compounds when others were barely affected. He'd spent much of the two days running tests, but he found nothing unusual, and the only good thing to come out of it was the book on the symbolism of plants. It hadn't been the best time of year for it, but he had tried, and he was currently turning his hand to a poem to try to capture the full sentiments of the plants he had chosen.

Dinner was very quiet. Alejandro talked to Diego about some ranch business matters, and Diego made the effort to show the right amount of interest, but the conversation didn't go much further than that. Alejandro seemed to be brooding but unwilling to broach the subject that was troubling him. However when Diego tried to excuse himself after dinner, Alejandro in a sudden decisive mood said that he'd like to talk to Diego in the library in a few minutes.

Suppressing a sigh, Diego moved over to the library, wondering what his father had in mind. It was a minute before Alejandro entered the room carrying a small wooden box which he placed on the table beside him as he sat down. He stared at Diego in silence for a few minutes, while Diego tried not to fidget under the look. After all, it was his father who wanted to talk to him, and frankly the past few days, Diego had somehow said the wrong thing more than the right.

Finally, Alejandro said, "I know... I know that we don't understand each other very well at times, son. I admit that I often don't understand the point of some of your studies. And sometimes I wonder..." He stopped and shook his head. "But... that's beside the point. Diego, I'm not a fragile old man that you need to tiptoe around, and I wish you'd stop acting as if I were."

Diego was shocked. "Father, I'm not sure what you mean."

Alejandro stared at him again for a moment. "These past few weeks, it's felt like you were trying to spare my feelings. You don't need to."

Diego still was a little confused. Was his father saying he was irritated by Diego's attempts not to irritate him? He had thought he'd been behaving much as usual. He had moments where he'd had to hide things, but he'd been doing that for a while. With all that had happened, he couldn't be sure which particular recent thing was bothering Alejandro, but he was inclined to suspect it had something to do with Victoria, since most of their disagreements seemed to center on Diego's behavior toward her.

When Diego remained silent, Alejandro sighed and picked up the box next to him. "I don't know if you remember," Alejandro said, "but your mother left you her jewels to give to your wife, once you married."

Diego sat up. _So it did have to do with Victoria_. "I hadn't really thought about it," he said. _Only once or twice a day since I fell in love with Victoria_. He stared at the box in his father's hand.

"Precisely, son. It's time you started thinking about it and not about me. It hurt when I lost your mother, and it hurt when I lost Mercedes. But I have many, many good memories. I'd very much like to see you making some of your own."

Suddenly it was clear to Diego. Oddly enough, he'd been so concerned about trying to spare his father pain that he hadn't thought about what would make him happy. "Father, I..."

"Well," Alejandro interrupted, "I thought you might want to take charge of your mother's ring," He handed the box to Diego, who opened it and looked at the emerald glittering there, as his father continued speaking, "if of course, you're thinking of asking Victoria to marry you in the near future. If you think she'd be willing."

Diego continued to look at the ring as he spoke to his father. There was that doubt again; did Victoria really strike him as the type to allow a courtship like his if she wasn't interested in marrying him? Did he think she was lonely or bored or, worse, taking pity on him? "Thank you, father. I wasn't sure whether or not it was too soon, but if you think it's a good idea..."

"Son, there's nothing I'd like better than to see the two of you married."

"Truly?"

"Truly, Diego," Alejandro said.

"And there is nothing I'd like better than to make you happy, Father."

Alejandro reached out and closed Diego's hand around the ring. "I know you and Victoria will."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> De Soto seemed to be having some kind of weird manic episode in "Mendoza the Malevolent." I mean his pouncing out at Mendoza calling for constant vigilance (well, maybe not quite, but he did seem to be channeling Mad-Eye Moody for a moment) and then his demented obsession with blackberries (not exactly a rare berry; wherever it takes root it seems to thrive like a weed and is often considered a nuisance), and I really wanted to do something with that, but it just wouldn't come out. But I did get fascinated by many of the meanings associated with plants, so I went with that instead. I did try to figure out plants that would be available in California during the time of year I was setting the story, but I probably got a few wrong which is why I didn't actually name anything other than rosemary. Also, I wanted a story in which Diego and Alejandro are somewhat irritable with one another for reasons other than Zorro. So I just melded both small ideas together for this bit of fluff.
> 
> And though I didn't mean for it to, this ended up being more of a transition piece between the previous story and the next one which will be "Wicked, Wicked Zorro."


	10. Spellbound (Wicked, Wicked Zorro) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To see the man who's almost always in control out of control can be a frightening experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Wicked, Wicked Zorro" was written by Robert L. McCullough.

Victoria had come late to the show. The tavern didn't run itself, and even with the crowd outside, she'd still had things to do. She stood next to Mendoza as Doctor Lozano made Pedro Gonzalez believe he was a chicken. Diego was standing across from her next to his father, but it would be too much bother to move over to the other side at the moment, especially since she'd need to return to the tavern as soon as the show was over. There would be thirsty people.

She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Making people act like chickens while it had its funny side was also a bit troubling. What else could someone be made to do? It seemed more like black magic than entertainment. So she couldn't help but laugh with some relief when Mendoza broke things up after Lozano tried to mesmerize him by saying he felt like it was time for lunch which sent Victoria back to the tavern to be sure everything was still going smoothly. She halted when something broke one of her upstairs windows. She looked around to see if she could see what had done it, but there was nothing suspicious. Lozano and Diego were talking by the show wagon. Victoria shrugged as she turned back to the tavern.

She supposed Diego was talking mesmerism with Lozano. Ever since the business with the alcalde and the Emissary and following Mendoza's bout of amnesia, Diego had been trying to learn more about the malleability of the human mind. Lozano might be a quack, but Diego was always interested in anybody who could add to his store of knowledge, and clearly Lozano did know something Diego would like to learn about.

Once inside the tavern, Victoria took a few minutes to check the upstairs room and found that a rock had broken the window. She didn't understand where it had come from; she hadn't seen anyone throwing anything. Annoyed and slightly puzzled, Victoria cleaned up the glass and shuttered the window before returning downstairs where the lunch crowd kept her too busy to do more than wonder why Diego hadn't come inside. She heard in passing that he'd been seen walking out of town when De Soto came to arrest Lozano for being a charlatan. Victoria wondered why the alcalde had gone to the trouble rather than simply telling the man to leave town. Perhaps, that was the reason Diego had left so suddenly.

On the other hand, Diego may have just been inspired by something else. He did actually get carried away by his interests on occasion. Not as often as it appeared to other people, but Victoria had seen him lose all track of time over some particularly fascinating bit of science or an experiment that couldn't wait. Victoria was actually fond of that trait of his, well, now that she knew that it didn't supercede his caring about people.

And he did use his knowledge to help people in more ways than they were ever aware of. More than his father was aware of, she thought with a touch of frustration. Why couldn't Diego let his father into his secret? The pain they managed to inflict on one another because of that secret troubled her greatly. She did know that even without the secret between them that Diego and his father would clash on occasion both because of their tempers and the difference in the way they looked at the world; those arguments at least would come from genuine disagreement. But to wound each other because of something that wasn't even true? She hated that.

Diego didn't return for the rest of the day, and there was no sign of Zorro either. Victoria missed him, but they hadn't had any particular plans, so she didn't worry about it. After all, Diego still needed to be unpredictable, so that no one would think it odd when he wasn't around when Zorro was. She was getting used to reminding anyone who asked about Diego's odd absences that she was an independent woman who didn't need a man hovering over her every second of the day, and she appreciated his love of science and the arts even if he was a bit absent-minded at times. Now, instead of insulting him, she'd gently tease him in public. They weren't the most conventional courting couple, but then they never had been and probably never would be.

She closed up the tavern as usual and went up to bed, not particularly concerned about anything. However, she was startled from sleep by the sounds of fighting in the cuartel. She heard someone yell Zorro's name. Sitting up, she listened intently until she was sure Zorro had escaped. Then tiredly, she lay back down wondering what Zorro had been looking for in the alcalde's office. She was sure she'd find out tomorrow.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria couldn't believe it as she stood in the crowd in front of the cuartel. The alcalde was claiming that Zorro had robbed his safe of the tax money the night before, that he was nothing more than a thief. Showing the empty safe as proof. As if it were proof of anything more than the alcalde's duplicity. She would have thought the alcalde had done it himself if Mendoza hadn't been sporting a huge black eye, claiming Zorro had kicked him in the face.

 _Another imposter_ , Victoria thought angrily. _Ramone already tried that. Does De Soto think we're gullible enough to fall for that again?_ She wasn't going to let De Soto get away with this. "Zorro wouldn't do that. He's a good man." _The best man I know_.

It was at that point that the bank manager came running to the crowd. "It's Zorro! He's robbing the bank!"

De Soto looked vindicated as he said, "A good man, is he?"

Don Alejandro spoke out firmly. "Yes! It's got to be an imposter!"

Victoria was glad to see Alejandro's faith, especially as the bank manager showed the crowd the Z slashed into the back of his vest, asking what imposter could do that. Victoria was sure that any properly skilled swordsman could do it, especially if he had been deliberately practicing to impersonate Zorro. Before she could say anything, she heard voices crying out Zorro's name. Through the crowd she could just make out the sight of the masked man on the horse.

With growing horror as she watched him trying to evade the lancers, she realized it really _was_ Zorro. The time she could have been fooled was long past. What was going on? If he'd encountered an imposter, where was the imposter? Why was he carrying those saddlebags? When he escaped on Toronado, riding over the rooftops, Victoria was hard pressed to know what to do. She barely even heard De Soto double the bounty on Zorro's head, as across the plaza she spotted the one person who could tell her what she wanted to know. She caught Felipe's eye and signed for him to wait. As casually as she could she excused herself from Don Alejandro and walked over to where Felipe was standing out of sight to most of the crowds.

Quietly, she said, "That was really _him_. Do you know what's going on?"

Felipe shook his head and making sure no one could see signed that Diego had been behaving strangely, like in a trance, and he hadn't come back to the cave since he'd ridden out as Zorro yesterday.

"A trance," Victoria said reflectively. "Then it has something to do with that Dr. Lozano. He was putting people under spells yesterday, mesmerizing them. Do you think Diego has any books on the subject?"

Felipe nodded, but then looked unsure. Victoria still had a little trouble following his signs, to her embarrassment, so it took her a little time to correctly interpret what he was telling her. "You think he has them, but you're not sure which ones," she said, then watching carefully. "You're afraid of what is going to happen if Zorro keeps acting this way. I am too, Felipe." She took a deep breath. "In many ways, you know him better than I do. What do you think we should do?"

This time it was much easier to understand. "You're thinking a trap in the cave?" Victoria asked. "Until we can figure out something better?"

Felipe nodded, then frowned before signing, "If he comes back."

"I'm sure he will," Victoria said with a confidence she didn't entirely feel before looking around at the bustle of the plaza. "I'm positive that the alcalde wouldn't let me see Lozano just now, and I want to know more about mesmerism before I try finding out what he did. What excuse is best for me to use? Can I say that I thought he looked unwell yesterday?"

Felipe shrugged and indicated that it would work as well as anything else and that no one had really been looking for Diego.

"Good, that's a relief. I'll see you in the cave as soon as I can."

Felipe nodded, and Victoria headed back towards the tavern. It didn't take much time to make her excuses, and she was relieved that Don Alejandro was planning to remain in town to try to find out about what he still considered to be an imposter Zorro. The last thing they needed was Alejandro wondering where Diego really was.

Victoria spent the entire time riding to the hacienda wondering that exact thing herself. Where would he have gone other than the cave? She wasn't aware of any other hiding places he had, but it was the first thing she asked Felipe when she got to the cave.

Felipe told her that there were several spots that Zorro might have gone to hide out; they'd scouted them out after the time Ramone had hired an Indian tracker to follow Zorro.

"But it would take too long to check, and he'd see us coming," Victoria said, translating Felipe's last signs. "I think you're right that he'll probably come back here soon, and I think your trap idea is the best idea if he's under a spell. At least until we find out what can break it. I'll look through the books and stay out of your way."

She wasn't going to distract Felipe with any more questions since he needed his hands to speak, and right now it was more important to be prepared for Zorro's return. Victoria went and looked on the shelves next to Diego's desk. She'd known he'd been studying human memory and how people could be influenced to believe strange things and hoped that he'd included something on mesmerism among his studies.

He had, but she found it very difficult going through his books as some were in English, and while she read it well enough, some of the terms were very difficult to make sense of. It all seemed very confusing, especially what happened to a person put under the influence and how to break the trance. As a headache started forming, Victoria thought that it would take someone with Diego's intelligence to clear this up, and he was the one who needed the help. She really would have to work harder on learning to read English properly. Once Felipe had finished up with the trap, she asked him if he could understand it any better, and after looking at the passages in question, he shook his head.

"If only we knew just what Diego might do under this _influence_ ," Victoria said. "So far it hasn't been much more than things that he's done as Zorro, but for wrong reasons. I know he's broken into the alcalde's safe before, and the bank's along the same lines. Fighting the lancers and cutting Z's, that's pretty normal too, though kicking Mendoza in the face was more vicious," Victoria said, trying to convince herself that they didn't have that much to worry about. "What did he do when he left?"

Felipe signed that he was in a bad temper and knocked his hands away as he left.

"That's not too good," Victoria said. She knew Diego loved Felipe like a son or little brother; he had always seemed to treat him with gentleness and patience. She took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Dr. Lozano. He's the one who did this to Diego; I know it. I don't know how, but maybe I can get him to tell me something."

Felipe looked doubtful.

"I know that's _if_ the alcalde lets me in, and _if_ the man will talk to me. I know he's not going to confess what he's done. No one could be that foolish, but maybe if I ask the right questions he'll tell me something we can use," Victoria said. "I'll tell anyone who asks that Diego went to bed with a headache. We can always change the story if needed." She looked at the trap Felipe had set. The thought that they'd need to trap him at all made her feel a little sick inside. "If this takes too long, I probably won't be able to return until tomorrow without it looking suspicious." She touched Felipe's arm. "Be careful. Please. We don't know what's happened to him."

Felipe nodded and signed that he wanted her to be careful as well.

"I will," Victoria said, thinking that Felipe would be far more likely to see Diego before she would. And she took comfort in the fact that he knew far more than she would exactly what he was capable of doing. After all, he'd been with Diego from the beginning and for the longest time was the only one to share his secrets and see the true man without either disguise. Victoria envied him that knowledge but didn't resent it. She couldn't.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was getting late. Victoria had been thwarted in her efforts to see Dr. Lozano. De Soto was not feeling generous; his attention was all on Zorro. The most Victoria could get him to say was that Lozano was a dangerous quack, and it was his job to protect the citizens of the pueblo. Victoria didn't press too hard as she didn't want anyone to suspect why she wanted to talk to Lozano.

She spent most of her time listening to what people were saying. When asked, she'd insist it had to be an imposter. Mendoza was the last of her customers to leave, and she was happy that he wasn't accepting that Zorro had turned thief, at least. It was the one bit of hope for her otherwise miserable day. She bolted the door, hoping that tomorrow would bring the solution to their problems. Walking over to the bar, she started stacking things to take to the kitchen. The atmosphere changed suddenly, and turning her head, she saw Zorro standing behind her.

She froze for a long moment, as she looked at him. Zorro hadn't come into her tavern when she was alone since she'd realized who he was, and now there was something in his eyes, a hardness that frightened her. Zorro had never frightened her before. Not even that first night they'd met. She'd been suspicious but not scared. But now there was ice in his expression.

"Z-Zorro?" she stammered out, trying to decide what was the safest thing to do. The books didn't make it clear at all, and he'd never seemed quite so large before. "What are you doing here?"

He stepped forward, knocking the tray from her hands. "The cash drawer, señorita."

Victoria backed up, fear creeping into her throat. It was almost as if he didn't recognize her at all. For a brief moment, she wondered if calling him by his right name would help, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, fearing it would make him worse. It took all her effort to say, "Zorro, think about what you're doing, please."

His only response was to step forward, grabbing her chin. "As lovely as you are, you talk too much. The money! Now!"

The pain from his grip was the least of her concerns, not so much as that look in his eyes. It was as if Diego wasn't even there at all, and yet... Victoria quickly got the money for him, hoping he'd simply leave and hoping even more that he'd head straight for the cave and Felipe's trap.

If only she knew what to do to bring back the Diego she knew and loved. But all she could do was watch him leave with the money. She leaned against the bar trembling for a couple of minutes, but then hating the need to do it, though confident that Zorro had left the pueblo, she opened the door to the tavern and yelled that someone dressed as Zorro had just robbed her.

When they finally made it across the plaza and heard her story, De Soto was smug, Mendoza sympathetic. She kept the story as brief as the robbery, still insisting that she didn't believe it was the real Zorro. She didn't know what would happen if Zorro got caught, but she was going to protect Diego in the hopes that they could break that evil influence on him. That was why she knew she couldn't go running to the de la Vega hacienda. Don Alejandro would expect Diego to do something, at least be there, and she couldn't risk the questions. All her hopes lay with Felipe.

So she insisted she was fine, locked the doors again, then locked herself in her room, hating the fear she was still feeling. She couldn't make herself undress for bed. Instead she sat and spent a few minutes staring at the picture of her family that Diego had painted for her and hung where she could see it first thing when she woke in the morning.

Going to her wardrobe, she pulled out a small box which contained everything that Diego had given her that would never be associated with Zorro. At the top was a poem he'd given her only a few days before, one he'd said that had been inspired by the flower message he'd given her before. It contained every bit of the meanings she'd discovered but was still so unexpected and beautiful that it made her blush. She looked from the painting to the poem a little sadly. Only Diego could have thought of them and made them so perfect, and now she was afraid of what he might do under the influence of this horrible spell.

Finally, putting away her box, Victoria knelt on the floor and began praying the hardest she'd prayed since she'd lost her mother so many years ago.

~Z~Z~Z~

Morning came, and there was no word of Zorro. Victoria was exhausted and nervous, wanting nothing more than to go to the de la Vega hacienda and find out if Felipe's plan had worked. However, she pulled herself together enough to try to see Lozano again when she carried his breakfast over to the cuartel, but De Soto was adamant that Mendoza take the food into the prisoner, and Victoria couldn't convince him otherwise, especially when he showed specious concern about her tired looks after being robbed by "that villain Zorro." That had the advantage of annoying her enough that De Soto didn't seem to notice anything unusual about her behavior.

She walked back over to the tavern, angry enough to feel almost normal. Almost as if she hadn't been robbed by the man she loved. As she walked in the door, she was surprised to see Don Alejandro.

"Victoria, what's this I hear about Zorro robbing you?" he asked coming towards her.

Taking a deep breath, Victoria said, "I don't believe that it was really Zorro, but sí, it's true. Last night."

"Why didn't you send for me or Diego?" he asked. "We would have come immediately."

"There was nothing you could have done, and I didn't want to disturb you," Victoria said.

"Oh, Victoria," Alejandro said. "You could never disturb us." He looked at her closely for a minute. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Enough," Victoria replied with a wan smile.

Alejandro shook his head. "I don't think so. Why don't you come back to the hacienda with me? It would do you good to get away for a day after what happened last night, after all this isn't the first time you've been robbed lately. I'm sure Diego's around somewhere, though I couldn't find him before I left."

Victoria broke in. "I think he and Felipe had some plans for today. And I couldn't impose..." She trailed off because she most certainly did want to impose.

"Nonsense," Alejandro said, forcefully. "You should come. Spend the night even. It will be safer than staying in town, and if you're worried about the tavern, I'll come back and look after things myself."

Victoria made a show of being reluctant though this was exactly what she preferred. "If you really insist..."

"I do," Alejandro said. "Come back with me now. You don't even need to pack a bag; I'm sure we can find everything you need at the house."

Victoria nodded and then went to talk to Pilar and Alicia to tell them what she was doing, that Don Alejandro would be coming back to keep an eye on things and that she wanted the tavern to close a little early in the evening for both their protections. It only took a few more minutes for her and Alejandro to be on their way, since he'd brought the wagon to town.

They rode in silence for a while, before Don Alejandro spoke, in a tone that Victoria thought was supposed to sound casual but seemed unnatural to her. "Victoria, when you saw Diego yesterday, how was he?"

Victoria didn't look at him as she answered. "He didn't seem quite himself, but I'm sure he'll be feeling better today." _If a miracle happens_ , she thought.

Victoria could feel Alejandro watching her from the corner of his eyes. She hoped he wasn't going to ask her more about her visit with Diego or ask any more awkward questions. She knew he'd had some doubts about whether she could really love the man Diego pretended to be, but she didn't think he was going to bring that up right now. Maybe he'd seen Diego acting oddly before he'd disappeared. Victoria wasn't going to ask, since she was claiming to have seen him.

"I'm sure he will, too," Alejandro said in an undertone, which seemed to imply that he'd better be.

Pretending she hadn't heard, Victoria sat quietly, trying to determine what she should do once they reached the hacienda. If Felipe's trap had worked, Diego would be tied up in the cave, and she'd need to convince Alejandro to leave her there alone.

It seemed like no time had passed when they reached the de la Vega hacienda. Victoria still hadn't made a decision, and when they entered the courtyard, she had to stop for a moment because a pebble had worked its way into her shoe. Alejandro would have stopped, but she asked that he go on in, while she sat on a bench for a moment, hoping the right plan would come to her. It didn't, so once she dropped the rock from her shoe and slipped it back on, she headed for the front door.

Entering quietly, Victoria was shocked to hear Diego's voice in the library.

"I was reading, Father." His words were uttered in a flat tone.

Victoria was worried. He sounded wrong, and if he was in the library, where was Felipe? She stood frozen to the spot as Alejandro spoke.

"Reading? I should have known. Zorro's running amuck, and you stand here reading. You should have gone to town. Zorro's robbed the alcalde, the bank, and last night, he robbed Victoria," Alejandro said, anger clear in his voice.

"Is she all right?" Diego asked in the same flat tone.

Victoria peaked around the corner, unsure what to do as Don Alejandro exploded.

" _Et tu, Brute_!" he yelled. "First Zorro, the defender of the people robs her, and you— you who've been courting her and claim to love her can only manage an indifferent, 'is she all right?'"

Victoria watched as Diego shook his head and looked at his father with utter confusion. "What— what did you say?" he asked in a small voice.

Alejandro threw up his hands. "You need to pay attention, Diego. I said, besides the bank and the alcalde's office, Zorro robbed _Victoria._ "

"R-robbed her? Is she all right?" he asked, this time with apparent sincerity.

Victoria almost sighed with relief. Diego seemed to be himself again, and in order to save him from Alejandro, she decided to make herself known.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, coming up to him, a little nervously.

He looked at her confusion and fear in his eyes. He reached for her but didn't actually touch her. "Really?"

"Sí, really I'm fine," Victoria said. She looked over at Don Alejandro who smiled at her, apparently reassured by Diego's more normal reactions.

"Well, now I'll get back to town and keep an eye on things. Diego, I trust you'll look after Victoria," he said, a little sharply.

Diego's eyes never left Victoria as he said, "Of course."

Alejandro looked at the two of them a moment before heading out of the room. Diego didn't seem to notice him leaving.

" _Zorro_ robbed you?" he asked, looking visibly shaken when she nodded. "He— he didn't hurt you, did he?" His voice cracked a little.

Victoria shook her head. "Just frightened me." Taking a deep breath, she moved forward and took hold of his face, looking deep into his eyes. "Are you all right now? You sound like _you_ again."

Diego looked around, relieved to see that his father was gone. "Victoria, I don't understand. I don't remember anything since Lozano's show."

Victoria looked at the fireplace. What _had_ happened to Felipe? She was sure he'd set the trap right, and she was worried. "Diego, let's go to the cave. I'll be able to explain more there."

An uneasy expression on his face, Diego opened the panel and started down the steps ahead of Victoria. When he reached the bottom, he looked shocked and ran; Victoria hurried to see Diego kneeling next to an unconscious Felipe, who was starting to stir.

Victoria was behind them as Felipe sat up and seeing Diego pushed him away. What had happened?

"What's wrong?" Diego asked, then as Felipe signed, "I hit you? I'm sorry. I... I... I don't know what came over me. I wasn't myself."

Victoria reached Felipe's other side. He looked between her and Diego with a worried expression. Victoria tried reassuring him. "It's true. I don't know what happened, but the spell's broken."

Felipe glanced at Diego and not so subtly made sure he was between the two of them. From the expression in his eyes, she could see his doubt, though it took her a moment to understand what he was trying to tell her.

"Am I sure because he tricked you?" Victoria wanted to ask how, but not now with Diego looking sick beside her.

Felipe nodded still watching Diego warily. Victoria glanced at him and then back at Felipe. "Yes, I'm sure. When I got here, Diego sounded odd, indifferent, and Don Alejandro was angry with him, and then suddenly, he was himself again, like he'd just woken up." She looked at Diego. "We think Dr. Lozano put you in some kind of trance."

"Lozano," Diego said with disgust, standing up. "I think I need to pay the good doctor a visit." He turned away from them both for a minute.

Victoria helped Felipe up to his feet, smiling at him reassuringly. Felipe was watching Diego warily, as if trying to be sure that Diego really was himself again.

"He's in the cuartel, or at least he was when I left this morning," Victoria said. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure, but I need to find out just how dangerous he is and what he knows about what I've done." He looked at Felipe, a slight hesitation in his expression. "I might need your help. If you're willing."

The wariness had left Felipe's face, and with a lighter expression he nodded. Victoria was relieved because she could see Diego's feelings of guilt, even as he tried to concentrate on the problem.

"I'll stay upstairs in the library," she said. "If anyone asks where you are, I'll say you're getting..."

"More willow bark," Diego finished. "I think we all are going to have headaches today." He reached a hand towards her, but stopped. "Forgive me?" His voice was soft and hesitant.

"Always, but you don't need it now. You were under a spell." She quickly hugged him. "Please be careful." She looked over at Felipe. "Both of you." Not wanting to delay them, she turned and headed to the stairs after checking that the library was clear.

Once she was in the library, Victory looked for a book and then settled on the sofa to start reading but found it hard to concentrate on the pages. She was wondering what Diego and Felipe were doing but felt confidence in the fact that Diego was himself again, though she wished she could do something more constructive than sit still and provide an excuse if someone asked.

She wished she'd managed to do something more to help, but all her efforts since this started had proved singularly useless. It was Felipe who had managed to come up with a working plan. It was Don Alejandro who'd managed to break the spell, and he hadn't even known there was anything wrong. For all the difference she had made, she might as well have tried nothing at all. She loved Diego more than life itself, and yet she couldn't seem to help him except by doing nothing.

Sighing, Victoria realized those thoughts weren't helping any more than her previous efforts, and she tried concentrating on the book in front of her. However, exhausted by her previous worry and lack of sleep, Victoria found it almost impossible to keep her eyes open, and within a few minutes more she was fast asleep.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria dreamed she was in her tavern. Mendoza was trying to rob her again; however, now she was fending him off with her heavy skillet. The first time she had been surprised, but this time she was angry. Victoria knocked the knife out of his hand and was about to hit him again when someone wrenched the skillet away. Twisting around, she saw Zorro standing there. But this wasn't the Zorro she knew. It looked like him but there was an emptiness in his eyes, and a frightening, predatory smile spread almost unnaturally wide across his face.

Mendoza had grabbed his knife again, this time lunging for the masked man. Zorro grabbed his knife arm and twisted it around to stab Mendoza in the gut. Victoria stood frozen for a second before turning and running up the stairs. She didn't have to look back to know Zorro was coming after her, barely a step behind. She ducked into her room and barely managed to slide the bolt into place before the heavy thud of a body slamming into it jarred the door. She ran for her window, letting herself out and slipping and sliding her way to the ground, running as she hit the dirt.

Even over her labored breathing and the whooshing of her dress about her ankles, she could hear footsteps behind her. Suddenly, she found herself running down into Zorro's cave. She made it as far as Toronado's curiously empty stall when her arm was grabbed from behind. Spinning around hard, she practically slammed into Zorro, who grabbed her other arm in an iron grip. This time she kicked at him, but it didn't do any good. He twisted her arm behind her, and she was sure he was going to break it.

Then suddenly he let go, throwing her against the cave wall. From the floor, Victoria rolled around to see Diego struggling with Zorro. The two men grappled with, shoved, and punched each other, Victoria watching confused. Even in a dream she knew this wasn't right, but she found she couldn't move from her place on the floor. She could hear Diego calling her name, but it seemed impossible to reach him.

Victoria sat up with start to see Diego standing over her with an anxious look on his face. It must have been his voice she'd heard. Relieved to see him back safe and sound, she grabbed him in a fierce hug, which he returned far too lightly for her tastes. She looked around to see Felipe standing nearby. He smiled at her a little uncertainly. Victoria glanced at the window; it seemed like the afternoon was nearly gone. She must have been sleeping for some time; she hoped that no one had noticed how long it had been.

"Are you all right?" Diego asked.

Victoria took a deep breath; he didn't need to know about her nightmare or her feelings of failure. "Yes, I'm fine. I was worried about you both." She pulled Diego's hand to lead him back to the fireplace. She wanted to know everything, but it wasn't safe to talk too openly outside of the cave. Once they were in the cave, Victoria said, "I want to know what happened. Were you successful? Are you safe again?"

"You could say so," Diego said. "Lozano's gone, and the money's been returned."

Victoria was relieved, but she wanted to know more. She sat down in a chair while Diego paced around. Felipe slipped past them to Toronado. Victoria was glad he was there. She was still worried about Diego.

"So what happened?" Victoria repeated. "It can't have been as simple as that."

"True," Diego said. "Things were a bit more complicated. Zorro snuck into town only to find out that Lozano had escaped. Apparently, he'd somehow mesmerized Mendoza and told him he was the new commandant. So there was nothing for it but to figure out where Lozano would go and meet him as myself. It wasn't hard to track him or get ahead of him. I acted as if I were still in a trance and convinced him that something had gone wrong." He glanced at Victoria. "Apparently the key to wake up from the trance was the words 'Et tu, Brute.'"

"Oh, that's what your father shouted at you."

"I see. My memory's a bit hazy all round. I have the oddest impression of being told to be clever and cunning like a fox, which I guess explains why I did everything as Zorro."

"So what did you do to convince him that things had gone wrong?"

Diego sat on the nearby stool, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. He took a deep breath before quickly saying, "I held him at pistol point and said that I would kill anyone who got in my way and that no one could stop me. He panicked and said he didn't want the money, and I told him to leave California and never return. He agreed and hopefully is doing precisely that right now."

"But why?"

Diego sighed. "I was afraid that if I put him in jail, he'd soon realize that his orders to me were carried out by Zorro, and that seemed more dangerous than letting him go on his way. He really isn't as clever as he thinks he is, and I'm sure justice will catch up with him elsewhere."

"I hope so," Victoria said. "So what did you do after that?"

"Well, Zorro had to return all the money. The lancers were all out, searching for either Lozano or me, so it was a simple matter to slip it back into the bank and the alcalde's office unseen. I..." he suddenly got hesitant again. "I... returned the money to the tavern last. That I dropped into the kitchen, when I thought my father was about to enter. He'll look after it for you. I'm sure he'll be eager to tell us all about it."

"I'm sure he will," Victoria said, then remembering something Diego had mentioned. "What about Mendoza? You said Lozano mesmerized him too."

"Oh, yes, before leaving town, I did manage to get the good sergeant alone long enough to say 'Et tu, Brute', and he was still confused enough that I managed to get out of town without him sounding the alarm."

"That's a relief. I wouldn't want Mendoza getting into trouble again so soon."

Diego's expression was flat. "No, he does seem to have had a bad run of luck lately."

Victoria stood up and crossed to Diego. "How are you?" she asked, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Well enough under the circumstances," Diego said. "Still trying to makes sense of all that happened."

"I'm sure you will," Victoria said.

Diego stood up suddenly. "I think we'd better return upstairs. I'm not sure if events in town will cause my father to return sooner than expected, and today's a day when I don't want him to wonder where we are." He crossed over to the viewing hole to check to see if anyone was the library, then headed up the stairs without looking back.

Victoria was taken aback. Clearly Diego was not all right, but equally clearly he wasn't intending to say anything more at the moment. She glanced across the cave to Felipe with an inquiring expression. He shrugged ever so slightly.

"Did everything go as easily as he said?" she asked.

Felipe nodded. Then carefully he tried explaining.

Victoria was as careful in interpreting his signs. "He's acting like it doesn't bother him, but you think he's unhappy. You think he blames himself for not being strong enough." Victoria looked at the bruise on Felipe's face. It was barely noticeable, but that wasn't the point. "How about you, Felipe? Are things all right with you?" He nodded and signed something that took her a few moments to get. "You don't blame him, but it will take time to forget being tricked, even though it's not his fault."

Felipe nodded and then pointed at Victoria, asking how she was.

"Worried about him," Victoria said. "I think it might take time for all of us. You two most of all, I think. You both had the worst of it. I only got a scare." A big scare, true, but she hadn't been fooled into thinking Diego was normal before finding out he wasn't, nor had she been the one whose will had been stolen. That she knew would weigh heavily. All she had to concern her were nightmares, and she'd had too many in her life to worry over those once she was awake. "I think we'd better get upstairs as well."

Felipe shook his head and indicated the cave entrance making the sign for horses.

"Oh, I hadn't thought about them still being out there," Victoria said. "I'll see you later then."

After checking that all was clear, Victoria went through the fireplace. As she closed the panel, she saw Diego reenter the library, his expression still strained though he smiled when he saw her.

"I was checking to make sure Maria knew that you would be having dinner with us and that my father may or may not be here. I suspect he probably will. I think he'll want to tell you what happened personally. We have about half an hour before it's ready," he said, looking around the room as if he were at a loss of what to do.

Victoria tried to think of something to distract him during the brief wait. Her eye lit on the piano. "In that case, would you play something for me?" she asked.

"It would be my pleasure," he said. "Anything in particular?"

"No, whatever you like," Victoria said. "I have no particular preference."

"All right," Diego said, going over to the piano and glancing through the sheet music before picking what he wanted.

While tempted to move a chair closer to the piano, Victoria instead chose the seat that gave her the best view of him as he played. She still wasn't sure what she could do to help him right now, but at least music would provide a distraction, and she did love to hear him play. He only glanced at her before he started playing, a very beautiful, haunting piece. Victoria tried to remember what it was called; it had been a long time since she'd heard Diego play it. She thought it might be one of Beethoven's Sonatas. She never could remember the numbers, preferring names, but she understood beauty when she heard it.

As Diego came to the end of the piece, Don Alejandro entered the hacienda. Victoria hoped she seemed sufficiently surprised at the news from town, which Alejandro told over dinner, after apologizing for closing her tavern that much earlier than usual.

"That's all right, Don Alejandro," Victoria said. "I don't really mind, not after all the excitement. I did want to close early tonight. Now tell me all that happened."

She was determined that Diego would not have to ask any questions, and Alejandro, eager to tell what had happened, didn't notice that Diego was very subdued throughout the telling. Alejandro told them how the money had been mysteriously returned.

"I caught a glimpse of Zorro as he left the tavern," he said, as he finished the tale. "I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but I think the imposter was working with Lozano. It's a shame that Zorro couldn't bring them both in."

Victoria was glad to hear Alejandro still believed there was an imposter and had a theory that she would push to anyone who wondered what had happened, but she didn't want anyone asking too many questions about why Zorro hadn't returned with Lozano or the reputed imposter. She spoke quickly. "It was probably a case of being able to either catch them or retrieve the money. At the moment, I'm simply glad to have the money back."

"You're right, Victoria," Alejandro said. "Better that we get the funds back. Even Zorro must have his failures on occasion."

"Probably more than anyone suspects," Diego said, a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"But the good he does more than makes up for any failure," Victoria said. "He's been defending the pueblo almost single-handedly for three years. I don't think we can blame him when he can't do everything."

"No, we can't," Alejandro said. He looked reflectively at his glass of wine. "Sometimes it can be hard to remember that there is a man beneath that mask, a man who is capable of the occasional mistake."

"I think he's lucky that most don't," Diego said, eyes focused on the table.

"True," Alejandro said. "Most of the lancers think he can't be killed. I've heard stories of his abilities to walk through locked doors. In some ways he does seem more legend than man, and that's a definite advantage."

"In most cases," Diego muttered.

Alejandro looked sharply at him.

"Tell me again about Mendoza," Victoria interjected before Alejandro could say anything. "I can't believe the poor man called De Soto 'private.'"

Focusing back on Victoria, Alejandro said, "Oh, yes. It was right after Lozano escaped. Mendoza was strutting around acting as if he were alcalde. We guess that's how Lozano managed to escape, but sometime in the afternoon, Mendoza came out of it and was very embarrassed. Luckily for him De Soto was more irritated about Lozano's escape."

"Well, I am pleased to hear that," Victoria said. "De Soto just decided to cancel Sepulveda's punishment; I wouldn't want Mendoza to end up in his place."

"Well, no it doesn't look like that at all," Alejandro said. "De Soto seems to be fuming more about Zorro's return of the money. He keeps insisting it was all some kind of plot, though what he says doesn't make any more sense than his usual blustering."

"And once again it's business as usual," Victoria said.

Conversation turned general after that. Victoria could see that Diego was making more of an effort to appear normal, but she still sensed the strain. Once dinner was over, in order to make things easier for Diego, Victoria made her excuses to Don Alejandro saying that she was very tired and asked if he wouldn't mind if she retired early. She felt a little guilty when he apologized for not realizing that she was exhausted. And it did sting slightly to see Diego looking relieved, even if she was trying to spare him stress. She hoped that Alejandro didn't notice Diego's hesitation before he kissed her hand. Victoria hadn't been able to help noticing that he hadn't initiated any contact with her since he'd woken from his trance. She wondered what exactly was making him want to keep his distance. Was it shame for robbing her? Or did he just not want to let her too close right now? There were times when he was as much a mystery to her now as when she thought he was two different people.


	11. Spellbound (Wicked, Wicked Zorro) Part 2

Victoria was tired of staring at the ceiling. Apparently the sleep she'd gotten earlier had been more than she'd needed. She looked around and wished she'd thought to pick a book to bring with her from the library, but she'd been in too much of a hurry to convince Don Alejandro she was too tired to stay up any longer. However, it had to be past midnight, and surely Diego's father had gone to bed ages ago.

After lighting the candle and thinking about it for a few minutes, Victoria decided it was worth the trouble to get dressed again before leaving the room; it wasn't as if sleep was going to be easy either way. She was glad she'd picked one of her less troublesome outfits when she'd changed that morning. Pausing in the hall, she was tempted for a moment to go to Diego's room to see if he was still awake, but aside from concerns of Alejandro catching her, she was sure she'd shock Diego as well. After all, aside from the time she'd been shot, Diego had never been alone with her in her bedroom either with or without a mask, and the one time she'd entered Diego's room alone, he'd seemed genuinely shocked. Or had it merely been because he'd been covering up Zorro again.

Someday, she'd have to sit down with him and find out for certain what he'd been doing during those days when she hadn't known because even now she had some trouble reconciling what things had looked like with what had actually happened. He had been very good at switching parts quickly, to the point that she'd once been almost positive she'd seen Diego and Zorro at the same time.

Shrugging a little, Victoria decided to go to the library and find something to read. At the moment, she wasn't sure if there was anything she could or should say to Diego. She stared at the shelves a few minutes, not really struck by any of the books, not even the one she'd been trying to read earlier. Looking at the fireplace, she thought she might go down to the cave and grab one of the books on mesmerism. Even if it didn't help her understand, it would probably help her get to sleep.

Opening the panel, she slipped down the stairs, candle in hand, though she knew she wouldn't need it. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was surprised to see Diego sitting at his desk, though at the same time she felt she should have expected it. He was surrounded by books, yet when she first caught sight of him, he was more focused on something small and glittery in his hands. He looked up as she reached the bottom of the steps and quickly dropped whatever it was into one of his pockets before standing up.

"Victoria, what are you doing here?" he asked, more surprised than she was.

Setting the candle down, Victoria crossed the room. "I couldn't sleep and was looking for something to read. There's a book here that I wanted to look at."

He glanced at the desk. "Which one?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, as she came closer. "I'd rather talk with you if you don't mind." Actually, she wanted to hold him and let him know that everything would be all right, but he looked as if he'd flinch if she touched him.

Sounding a little unsure as he glanced around the cave, Diego asked, "Right now?"

"Sí, why not?" Victoria asked. She pulled a small chair close to his desk chair and sat. "It's not like you were sleeping either." She looked up at him. "Please?"

He sat down a little heavily, not really looking at her. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You," Victoria said. "I've been worried about you, mi amor."

Diego kept his eyes on the books on the desk. "You've had good reason to be worried, Victoria. Between hearing the story from Felipe this afternoon and Father at dinner, I can't believe what I did."

"It wasn't as bad as you seem to think," Victoria said, trying to find the right words to reassure him. "A little more vicious than Zorro's usual behavior..."

Diego looked at her suddenly, anger apparent in his eyes. "I'm supposed to be glad because I wasn't an utter monster? That I didn't kill anybody, that I _only_ knocked Felipe out, that I _only_ robbed you..."

"No, I don't expect that at all. What I expect is what I see here. You looking through your books, finding out a way to make sure that nothing like this happens to you again. To do what it takes to protect us all," Victoria said, staying seated through sheer force of will. "I simply don't want you to blame yourself for something you couldn't control."

"I should have been able to," Diego insisted.

"Brilliant as you are, you couldn't have anticipated this. I don't see how anyone could," Victoria said.

Diego stared at her before shifting his gaze back to the desk, not saying anything, not looking convinced. Victoria tried not to sigh. She knew it would take some time for him to forgive himself for the crime of not anticipating the improbable, especially since this was the third time within a short period that something truly unforeseeable had happened. No one could have known that Mercedes had a brutish husband or that Mendoza would get amnesia and be convinced he was a bandit, and certainly, they couldn't have predicted his being mesmerized by a traveling showman.

But she didn't want him to keep pushing her away while he worked through it. It seemed to be one of the prices that Zorro demanded of him. The boldness and assurance of Zorro seemed to be counterbalanced by the caution and reticence of Diego— unless of course, the circumstances didn't allow time for serious reflection. And he insisted on carrying his burdens almost alone. She wondered if he regretted that she knew his secret, if he still wanted her to think that the man she loved was a faceless legend, invincible and invulnerable.

She knew that while he relied on Felipe for support in his experiments and his actions as Zorro, he kept to himself many of the doubts and fears that she knew plagued him because he felt he'd already put too heavy a burden on the young man's shoulders. She also had realized that there was a lot he kept from her as well, to keep her safe or to keep her from worrying or perhaps simply out of habit, but she wished he wouldn't. After all, Victoria knew that there wasn't a lot she could do to help the legend, but she hoped she could find a way to help the man, if she could only find the right words. She had sudden flash of a tiny old woman with white hair and a black dress and the sweetest smile she'd ever seen.

"You are the strongest man I know," Victoria said, glancing at Diego for a moment before leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes, hoping this was the right way, "and I know what it feels like to have to be strong all the time. To not want to burden others, to feel that you should be able to handle everything by yourself."

She opened her eyes just enough to glance at Diego from beneath her eyelashes. He seemed frozen in his seat, but turned just a little more towards her. Victoria closed her eyes again before continuing, afraid that she sounded foolish or even possibly selfish for wanting him to need her.

"Do you remember Abuelita? Doña Teresa Alvarez?" Victoria paused for a moment but Diego remained still and quiet. "When my father and brothers left, I was determined to do everything myself. It was very hard but your father was kind enough to step in and help me. I was grateful, but he had his own business to deal with so I struggled with many things alone. After all, I was an Escalante. But then there was Abuelita— no one but caballeros called her by her proper name. She used to come to town once a week on marketing day, and she'd spend a few hours sitting in the tavern, in the old rocking chair that my own grandmother used sit in.

"She'd tell me about when she was a girl— her father had owned a tavern, and I think she was as surprised as anyone when Don Roberto proposed to her. She'd learned to be a proper doña, but she never forgot where she came from. I found that comforting..." Victoria stopped.

She was straying from her point, and Diego was still sitting there, not saying a word. She took another breath and tried to focus again. "She helped me learn new recipes, easier ways to do things. Once in a while, when it looked like I might have troublesome overnight guests, she stayed in town, though she'd never say that was why. She understood my pride better than I did and found ways to help me that didn't wound that pride, letting me do things for her as well, even when she didn't need them done.

"I never really told her how much it meant or the nights I'd spent crying sure that I was going to fail. But what I remember the most was the time she told me it was good to be brave but it was better to be brave enough to know when you need help." Victoria kept her eyes tight shut to keep the tears from flowing as she remembered the kind old woman who'd died only a few weeks after that conversation. "I know I can't fight like Zorro. I can't help you the way Felipe does. Sometimes I feel the only way I can help is to control my temper and stay out of the way. But I love you, the man who can't control everything, and I will always be here for you, if you will let me," she paused, still unsure if this was what she should say. "I'm not fragile. I won't break if you lean on me; I don't expect you to be invincible or invulnerable. You don't have to be strong alone."

She opened her eyes then and looked at Diego, not sure if she'd made any sense at all, if she should have said nothing at all and simply left him to work through it on his own. He usually did, but that's not what she wanted him to have to do.

Diego sat still for a long moment. At length, he reached over and placed a hand on hers. "I... I'm sorry."

"I've tried to tell you, you don't have to be sorry for..."

"That... isn't what I meant."

Victoria leaned back a little. She hadn't expected this and could hardly guess at what he was going to say next.

"You're right... about everything. I think I've known it all along but didn't want to admit it. I _have_ tried to do things on my own. I've tried to be with you and keep you at a safe distance at the same time. My pride, my arrogance has clouded my thinking. That's part of why I've been so angry with myself."

"Diego..."

He rose and crossed to Toronado's stall. "I do remember Doña Teresa," he said as he gently stroked the horse's mane. "My mother often visited her, and she was very kind to me as well. I also remember something Sir Edmund once told me when I was in Madrid. He told me that he would send home a man who could fight." Diego turned back to Victoria. "And I have."

"I know," Victoria got up and walked over to him. "You've fought so hard for this pueblo and all the people in it..."

"But I haven't fought for you. At least not the way I should have." He reached into his pocket and then slowly removed his closed hand. "Victoria... mi preciosa... I never wanted you to think that I don't need you or that I think you're too fragile to be relied on. Losing you would devastate me more than any weapon the alcalde could devise. You are my heart, the best part of me. There will always be some things I will have to do alone but... but I don't want to live this way the rest of my life... our life."

Diego opened his hand. In his palm was a ring. It was gold with an emerald centered in an oval setting, truly exquisite workmanship. Victoria's heart began to hammer furiously. "Diego?" she breathed.

"I know we've talked about this, at least secretly. But I don't want this to be secret any more. I want to tell the world of our love. There's a question I want— no, I _need_ to ask." He eased himself down to one knee and took her by the hand. "Victoria Escalante, love of my life, will you marry me?"

For a long moment, Victoria stood there, stunned. "Marry you?" she finally asked, not sure she wasn't dreaming. Much as she'd wanted to hear those words, she hadn't expected them this night.

He nodded, a hint of anxiety creeping into his face. As she finally absorbed that he meant it, Victoria felt a surge of happiness flood her.

"Yes. Absolutely and definitely yes, I'll marry you," she said, one part of her wondering if she was going to wake up suddenly in her tavern and discover that none of the events of the past seven months had happened and that she and Diego were as far apart as ever.

It still seemed almost unreal as Diego slid the ring onto her finger. She stared at it while Diego stood up. Then looking up at him, she threw herself into his arms with such force that he staggered back a few steps before recovering, holding her so that her face was even with his. She stared into his eyes, warmed by the love she saw there.

A moment later, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a hesitant kiss at first, almost as if he were finding it as hard to believe that she said yes, as she was that he had asked, but it intensified quickly. She tightened her arms around his neck even as his arms tightened around her waist. They still kissed as he lowered her back to the ground. Keeping on her toes, Victoria held Diego close, even as his hands slid to lightly hold her waist. Diego drew slightly back, kissing her cheeks, her nose, and her forehead, before gently taking hold of her hands, kissing each one in turn before taking a step away from her. They were both having a hard time controlling their breathing.

He looked down at their joined hands and then around the empty cave, and Victoria knew he'd just realized exactly how alone and likely to be undisturbed they were. They had always played with temptation, but Diego had always been very careful to keep things from going too far. Victoria was afraid that she wasn't as proper as she should be when it came to him, especially right at this moment. But it wasn't fair to rely on his notions of being a gentleman, not when he'd had such a rough couple of days.

"We could sit in the library for a minute," Victoria suggested, not wanting to leave him yet.

"I think that would be a good idea," Diego said. "Much safer."

Hand in hand they walked over to the spy hole. She stood on the step, and even though she knew she shouldn't, she leaned over to plant a kiss on his neck.

"Victoria," he whispered, turning to give her a kiss of his own, "my sweet devilish angel, be kind and please wait at the top of the stairs."

She grinned at him but then went upstairs to wait for him to follow, which he did almost immediately, carrying the candle she'd left on the table. He quickly opened the panel and they slipped into the library. He put the candle down before turning to face her again.

Diego lifted the hand with the ring. "Are you really sure about this?"

"Never more sure," Victoria said, looking up at him. "You don't doubt me, do you?"

Diego leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "No, just my own good fortune."

"I love you," Victoria said, "so much that I doubt my own luck in having found you." Giving into temptation, she pulled him towards her for a kiss.

Long moments later, Diego looked at her and smiled. "It does seem like a miracle," he said, caressing her cheek. "My father's going to be pleased."

"Pleased about what?" Don Alejandro's voice startled them.

Victoria nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned and saw Don Alejandro standing in the doorway, hair disheveled, wearing a heavy red dressing gown, and looking more than a little stern. Her first coherent thought was that she was glad she had bothered to get dressed again before leaving her room; her second was that she hoped he hadn't been standing there long. She was sure her cheeks had to be as red as the color of his robe.

"Well, children," Alejandro said meaningfully, "is there something I should know about?"

Diego recovered from the shock more quickly than Victoria, assuming an air of near perfect composure as he took hold of her hand. "Victoria's just agreed to marry me," he said.

Victoria looked at Don Alejandro nervously, for the first time wondering if he really approved of her. She was slightly reassured when his gaze shifted from Diego and his expression dissolved into a warm smile.

"Have you really?" he asked her, genuine pleasure in his tone, though there was a touch of concern in his eyes. "You _are_ sure?"

Looking back up at Diego, she took courage in his smile. Even though she was nervous, she wanted to assure Don Alejandro of her feelings for his son, she said, "Oh, yes. There's nothing I want more than to marry him..." Falling silent, she was comforted by Diego's gentle pressure on her hand and leaned slightly against his arm.

The slight concern in Alejandro's eyes vanished. "In that case, you were right. I've been wanting to hear that news for some time, and I couldn't be more happy about it." He looked at his son with a slightly more critical eye. "Even if the timing is somewhat unconventional."

Victoria felt tongue-tied, but whatever loss of speech she'd had, Diego seemed to have regained his. He was himself again, oddly both her Diego and the Diego he played for his father at the same time.

"I've been trying to find a chance to propose, Father, but things have kept getting in the way. When Victoria came looking for a book, for once, I decided to seize the opportunity rather than let it slip away— again."

"Finally, I'm glad to see you acting like a de la Vega," Alejandro said, clapping Diego on the shoulder. "Now as exciting as this is, the hour is late," he turned his attention to Victoria, "and the discussion of your engagement and wedding can wait until tomorrow. We should all try to get some sleep. After all, there is much to be done, and I'm sure we will all want to get an early start."

"Of course, Father," Diego said. He turned to Victoria. She thought he was going to kiss her hand as usual, but he surprised her by giving her a light kiss on her lips. " _Buenas noches_ , _mi novia hermosa_ ," he said, softly.

Still nervous in front of his father, Victoria simply smiled at him as she said her own good night and slipped from the room quickly. She even forgot the candle she had brought with her.

~Z~Z~Z~

Though she hadn't expected to, Victoria had eventually fallen asleep. Though this time her reasons for sleeplessness were far more pleasant than the night before's, though not entirely, as a few nagging doubts plagued her. She still wondered what Don Alejandro would say in the morning. He'd seemed happy, but was it simply because his son had managed to propose to _someone_?

With determination she pushed those thoughts away and thought about Diego instead. Looking at the ring on her finger, she still couldn't quite believe he'd finally asked the question. He was so concerned about moving forward cautiously she'd fully expected he wouldn't be ready for another few months, but he'd surprised her, and she couldn't be happier. She didn't expect everything to be perfect, but as long as they moved forward together, that would be enough.

Despite the late hour at which she'd fallen asleep, Victoria still woke early from habit. Dressing again, she tried to decide what to do. She was feeling a little nervous about facing Don Alejandro, even though she knew she shouldn't, and she wasn't sure when Diego would get up. He'd had a very hard couple of days and was more used to sleeping late than she was. Finally, she decided she was being ridiculous. Don Alejandro approved of the engagement if not the circumstances in which it had happened. She had no reason to hide from him or anyone else. Grabbing her shawl, she headed out the door.

The hacienda was still mostly quiet. She walked into the empty library and looked out the window, wondering if it would be better to go outside. As she stood there, a very familiar pair of arms stole around her waist, and she leaned back to look up into the face of her fiancé, happy to see him and even happier that the hesitation of the night before seemed to be gone. He leaned down to give her a light kiss.

"Good morning," he whispered in her ear, before letting her go.

"You're up early," she said, sitting on the sofa.

He sat next to her. "Well, last night after you left, Father made it very clear that he expected me to up bright and early to discuss the details of our engagement and marriage."

"He's not upset with us, is he?" Victoria asked, her nervousness returning.

Diego put his arm around her and pulled her close. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Not at all; it's because he's eager to get started planning at a non-scandalous hour of the day."

"Did we scandalize him?" Victoria asked, sitting back up to look at him from a safer distance.

Reluctantly Diego removed his arm from around her after kissing the top of her head. "Not really, though he pretended to be for the sake of form and to remind me to be more careful of both your honor and your reputation with an emphasis on your honor. I don't think he thinks I'm so very harmless any more, and I foresee closer supervision in our future."

"Even now that we're engaged?"

" _Especially_ now that we're engaged," Diego replied.

"That doesn't make sense."

Diego sighed as he looked at her, and she could feel herself blushing at the expression in his eyes. "It does to me." He took her hand. "He made it clear last night that he wants to invite as much family as possible. I think it will be at least spring before we can be married."

"Actually, son, I was thinking June at the earliest," Alejandro's voice interrupted them.

Victoria managed not to jump this time, but it was getting disconcerting.

"June, Father?" Diego asked, a trace of incredulity in his voice. "That's almost nine months."

"Yes, Diego," Alejandro said as he sat down in front of the couple. "You have no idea how long it takes for invitations to travel and to deal with everything pertaining to the wedding. Your mother and I were engaged for a full year before we got married. I won't make you wait quite that long, but I've been waiting a long time to celebrate your marriage, and I intend to do it properly. It's what you both deserve." He looked at Victoria with a bit of hesitation. "I hope you don't object to my taking charge. I have always thought of you as a daughter, and now that you are going to officially join the family, I want to be sure you feel properly welcomed into it."

Victoria smiled a little wanly. She understood exactly what he wasn't saying, and she felt a little emotional at both the thought and the delicacy behind it. She knew she was marrying into a wealthy and well-connected family, and she was neither, even if she wasn't exactly poor or nobody. Her parents were both dead: one shot for helping a revolutionary; the other died as a political prisoner. Her brothers— Francisco was in the military, and to be honest, she wasn't sure what Ramón was doing. Both their letters tended to be sporadic and vague. There were no other relatives. And even if her parents had been alive, Don Alejandro would have been the one taking charge of the wedding plans, since she was marrying above her station. Her earlier doubts gone, she knew he wanted the grand wedding not just because his son was finally getting married, but to let everyone know he wanted her to be his daughter-in-law.

"No, I don't mind. Gracias," she said, then glancing at Diego. "It's supposed to be a lucky month for marriage."

Diego looked at his father and then at Victoria and smiled. "Early June, Father. In fact the first of June if at all possible," Diego said, firmly.

"Fine, Diego," Alejandro said. "It will be tight, but I'm sure we can manage, though I'm going to have to start writing to all our relatives immediately. There are Victoria's brothers, your great Aunt Catalina and all her children and grandchildren, your cousin Rafael and his family. Oh, and with everything that happened, I hadn't had a chance to tell you that I just received a letter from your Uncle Cecilio telling us that he and Magdalena are coming to California to deal with some family holdings outside of Monterey, so we'll be able to invite them as well."

"They're coming to California? Was there more trouble at the University?" Diego asked, an oddly worried tone in his voice that puzzled Victoria until she remembered about Sir Edmund Kendall and the bounty hunter who'd killed him.

"No, your uncle's as apolitical as they come, but they did seem to want a change of climate for a while," Alejandro said. "And they should already be on their way to California by this time."

"I'll be glad to see them again," Diego said.

At this point, Felipe entered the room. Alejandro looked at the boy. "Did Diego tell you the news that he and Victoria are engaged?"

With a big grin, Felipe nodded. He made a few sweeping gestures. Alejandro had always had more difficulty than Diego with his signs, and as was his habit, Diego translated even though it was easy enough to see what Felipe meant.

"He says it's about time, which is precisely what he told me this morning. Well, that and a few other things I'll leave out," Diego said, grinning at his young friend.

Felipe ducked his head in some embarrassment, with a look that said a lot. Victoria wondered if she'd need to tackle Felipe or Diego to find out what those other things were, but Felipe slipped her a sly grin and a couple of small gestures which he'd developed just for her, for those times when she was worried about Diego but couldn't ask the questions. Together they meant "concerned but otherwise all right." She smiled back at him and decided that whatever it was could stay between them. Diego glanced at Felipe confused, but Felipe simply shrugged.

Alejandro ignored the byplay between the three of them. "I thoroughly agree with him," he said. "It is about time, and I'm glad we can start planning for the future."

"I am, too," Victoria said. "But I really should get back to the tavern this morning. I can't leave Pilar and Alicia to deal with things without me now that everything is back to normal."

"I'll take her back, Father," Diego interjected before Alejandro could say anything.

"Fine, Felipe and I will go with you," Alejandro said. "I have no idea how much work Victoria's going to get done once word of your engagement gets out, and I'm looking forward to seeing it."

"Instigating it," Diego murmured only loud enough for Victoria to hear.

Alejandro gave his son a sharp glance but only said, "I'm going to tell Miguel to get the carriage ready." He stood up and headed for the door.

Felipe looked after him and then looked at Diego and Victoria. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Diego signaling for Felipe to leave, which he did with an exaggerated nod.

"June," Diego said with mild disgust, "and you agreed to it."

"Well, _you_ told me you were going to let his judgement be your guide," Victoria said. "And he's so happy about it." She wasn't going to say that she appreciated Alejandro's thoughtfulness too much to want to argue with him. Some things were better left unsaid. As intelligent and compassionate as Diego was, there were some proprieties he'd always ignored, and she loved him too much to ever mention the difficulties she'd experienced because of that.

"Nine months is a long time to be engaged," he said, playing with the ring on Victoria's hand.

"Not as long as indefinitely," she replied. "You were the one willing to wait forever."

"And I was an idiot."

Laughing, Victoria said, "No, just short-sighted."

Diego smiled self-deprecatingly before turning serious. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "Things are going to get a little more complicated from this point on," he said gently. "I _will_ need your help more to keep people from wondering why your intended husband is absent or leaves your side so often."

Victoria put her hand over his. "We'll make it work. I've already said I don't mind an absent-minded suitor who gets so involved with what he's doing he forgets about me. I'll also tell anyone who's interested that I love my still absent-minded _novio_ who would rather avoid some of the tedious wedding planning or who clumsily hurts himself or suffers from colds or gets too wrapped up in other things." She smiled at him. "Between you and me and Felipe, we'll figure out how to make everything believable."

Diego looked into her eyes. "I'm sure we will," he said, caressing her cheek. "Though I think everyone will think I'm quite mad to not want to spend every waking moment with you."

"As long as you're safe, I don't mind if people think we're both _loco_ ," she replied, leaning forward to kiss him. She was feeling ridiculously happy as she wrapped her arms around him.

He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss for a moment before ending it with a reluctant sigh as he heard his father call, "Diego! Victoria! The carriage is ready!"

"We're coming!" Diego replied. He smiled broadly as he looked into Victoria's eyes. For a moment, he cast a glance towards the front of the hacienda. He looked back at Victoria and his smile turned into a grin. "Since you don't mind if everyone thinks we're crazy, what are your thoughts on eloping?"

Thinking of Don Alejandro waiting outside, she decided to ignore his half-joking question. With a smile of her own, she stood and said, "I think, my love, that the carriage is ready."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to be a little lazier with this story, but as I thought about the story I remembered that the other reason I wanted Victoria to learn Diego's secret (aside from allowing their romance to flourish) was that I wanted her to become more of a help than a hindrance to him. A Victoria who knows Diego's Zorro isn't going to sit still twiddling her thumbs when Zorro appears to have gone amuck. Hence her and Felipe working together to try to fix things, even if her efforts didn't actually effect the plot that much. 
> 
> Also in the original episode, Diego seemed to have gotten over being hypnotized too easily. For a man who prides himself on his self-control to just dismiss his uncontrolled robbery spree as "an irrational force, perhaps a dark side we all share, unleashed by a dangerous mental science" didn't seem quite right. So I decided to focus more on that side of the equation. In the episode, it was odd that Victoria forgave Zorro so easily as she had no idea what had happened to him to make him behave so badly, since his explanation didn't really explain anything. In this case, I thought she would find it easy to forgive him because she understood what happened to Diego wasn't his fault, and he wasn't in control of his actions, any more than Mendoza was to blame for his amnesia episode. But I'm also not overly into having the characters brooding or angsting over things (I've discovered I don't particular like writing a brooding Diego), so I hope the characters come off as taking things seriously, even if they seem to recover quickly.
> 
> On another note, I have a terrible time writing the character of Felipe, which is why he's been given a bit of short shrift in my stories. It's not that I don't like him. I do. The relationship between him and Diego is one of the best parts of the series, but I can't figure out the best way to write him and his signing. I've seen it done all sorts of ways. As plain dialogue, set aside as italics or by asterisks, done somewhat like the series, but I still haven't found the way that feels comfortable or natural for me, though in this story I mostly decided to stick with the show's method. IcyWaters did give me some good tips for writing for a mute character (Felipe and Bernardo may be quite different characters but the challenge of writing for them is the same), but this is definitely a work in progress for me. I'm still trying to work through the awkwardness.
> 
> For a while I kept flipping back and forth between two episodes for the engagement, this and "A Woman Scorned", but what finally made this one win out was its place in the production order timeline. I wanted them to have a longer rather than shorter engagement, mainly because traditionally engagements used to be longer, and if Alejandro wanted to invite a lot of family (which it seemed he would), that would take time and planning. I do know that I'm not particularly historically accurate about a great many things, but neither was the series, so mostly I'm simply trying to stay within the parameters of the show and keep from being even more anachronistic than they were.
> 
> Next Up: "Rush to Judgement."


	12. Snap Decision (Rush to Judgement)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even the best laid plans can hit a few snags.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Rush to Judgement" was written by Philip John Taylor.

Diego finished washing the blood from his hands, relieved that it hadn't been too difficult to remove the bullet from Señora Valverde, who was now lying unconscious in one of the guest rooms. There wasn't anything more that he could do for her, and so he left her to the watching of Luisa, an older servant who had sat by many a sickbed.

He should have known that the peace couldn't last, and it had been a peaceful three weeks since he and Victoria had gotten engaged. It had been a relief, since Diego had been reluctant to don the mask after he'd robbed the pueblo under the influence of a mesmerist. Even now he had mixed feelings, one part still wanted to avoid the mask, but another part wanted to redeem himself in his own eyes, if not others, as the rest of the town seemed convinced that they'd been the victims of an imposter.

Sighing as he entered the cave, Diego looked at the crying gas bombs he'd constructed more as an interesting experiment than with any idea of needing them. Perhaps, he'd never need them except for bandits. Why must De Soto always be so impetuous? He seemed to think hasty decisions were a sign of strong leadership, rather than an inability to look beyond the obvious.

Yes, there was circumstantial evidence against José, but that didn't mean he was guilty. A wise leader would be certain of all the facts, and from what Mendoza had indicated De Soto couldn't even be bothered to check to see if either of the Valverdes were actually dead rather than wounded. If it hadn't been for Mendoza, Doña Maria _would_ have died. And knowing De Soto, he would right now be planning to hang José for the crime without even waiting to see if Doña Maria awoke. He would have to do something to try to slow De Soto down.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was early evening when Zorro returned to the cave. Diego pulled off the mask in frustration. He wondered why he ever bothered. He seemed as incapable of learning from his mistakes as De Soto. Why would he think that De Soto would listen to a reasoned argument from Zorro? Force, yes. Reason never worked. In fact, all he seemed to do besides get into a fight in De Soto's office was convince De Soto that he was right. He felt a little sick at the thought that it was his appearance as Zorro that had made De Soto determine on a Friday execution.

Maybe it was time to try something else, though at the moment he wasn't sure what. He made his way upstairs and went to check on Doña Maria. She was still unconscious but otherwise stable. Diego wished that Dr. Hernandez would get back from the Indian settlement, as he hoped that the older man would have a better idea of what else to do. Luisa said she hadn't stirred but that the moment that she did, she or Maria would make sure to get a message to him or Don Alejandro.

He was glad that his father had gone to town this afternoon, since he wanted to talk with him about what happened but since Diego hadn't gone to town, he would be hard pressed to explain how he'd found out about Zorro's visit. Also, he hoped his father would have better news about De Soto's behavior.

Unfortunately, Alejandro had nothing good to tell him when he returned to the hacienda. Diego had been right. His appearance as Zorro had made De Soto more rather than less stubborn.

"I'm afraid De Soto is determined to hang José on Friday, regardless of his guilt or innocence, Diego."

"There must be some way to stop him or at least delay him until Doña Maria has recovered enough to say what happened," Diego said, almost to himself. Well, Zorro could ride in as usual, but it was an unsatisfactory solution.

"I don't know, son. I'm trying to get the caballeros to protest, but you know how difficult it is to get any unified action."

"I'm afraid so," Diego muttered.

It was frustrating. Zorro's anonymity allowed him to operate without fear of consequence, and with rare exceptions, the people seemed content to let Zorro carry the burden of action rather than draw attention to themselves. He felt trapped. If only there were some way to get the people to band together more often. This might do it, as the only person who seemed to believe José was guilty was De Soto, but he wasn't sure how or if he could motivate anyone to take a stand. He hoped the next day would look brighter than this one.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego awoke in the morning feeling more than ever that his visit to De Soto as Zorro was a mistake. Maybe if he talked to the alcalde as himself, encouraging him to have a proper trial, that would slow things down enough that the truth would come out. He was angry that he hadn't thought of this before he'd gone as Zorro. How was he ever going to manage to find a way to retire Zorro, if even _he_ defaulted to letting Zorro try to handle things?

He rode into town, trying to figure out the best way to approach the alcalde. Polite and deferential seemed to be the way to go. Taking a deep breath and praying for patience, Diego entered the alcalde's office.

Two minutes later, he was hard-pressed to keep calm, and patience was hanging by a thread.

"What do you mean there's not going to be a trial?"

"The man is guilty. I know it, but all the soft-hearted fools in the pueblo seem convinced he's innocent. I don't intend to see a murderer go free or give that villain Zorro another chance to thwart justice. I have the authority, and I intend to let the world see that justice is swift in Los Angeles."

"But, alcalde, surely it would be wise to wait until Doña Maria is able to say what happened. You wouldn't want to make a mistake."

"I am not mistaken, and all Señora Valverde will do is confirm what I already know. I will not wait. Rivas will hang tomorrow."

"But..."

"Diego, you don't understand how the world works. Go back to your books or Señorita Escalante. That's about the most you can be expected to handle at once."

It took all Diego could manage to not snap at De Soto. Concentrating on being mild, he managed to say, "I hope you don't find reason to regret your hasty decision."

"I assure you, I won't."

Knowing it was futile, Diego made a polite bow and turned and headed out the door crossing the plaza. When Diego entered the tavern, he immediately met Mendoza who told him all about Zorro's visit to De Soto, and De Soto's consequential determination to hang José, even though De Soto had made it clear enough. However, it was Victoria who told him that Mendoza was supposed to personally perform the hanging.

Mendoza was miserable about it. "I would give a week's pay if I could make Friday disappear— if the good Lord would just take it right out of the calendar."

"Maybe he will, Sergeant," Diego said, knowing even as he said it how ridiculous it sounded, yet even as he finished speaking a truly insane idea seemed to blossom in his mind. "Maybe we will." It was mad— crazier than anything else he'd carried out as himself— especially since he'd need a lot of cooperation from the citizens of Los Angeles in general and Mendoza in particular because if Mendoza went along the rest of the lancers would at least keep quiet. However, if it worked, it could be a step towards the elimination of the need for Zorro.

"What do you mean, Diego?" Victoria asked.

"Well, we know the alcalde isn't going to back down in time for us to prove José's innocence, so what if we make him think everything has already happened?"

"I don't understand, Don Diego," Mendoza said.

"Well, if we could somehow convince him that a week has passed and José has already been hanged, then we'd have the time we'd need to find the evidence to clear him."

Victoria was staring at him as if she thought he was crazy. Maybe he was. It sounded madder as he spoke, but somehow the compulsion had grown stronger.

"But how would we do that?" Mendoza asked.

"I have a drug that should make the alcalde sleep for twenty-four hours. We could set the stage to make it look like he's been unconscious for a week with a fever. With enough cooperation we could hopefully keep him convinced long enough for us to prove José innocence."

"But what happens afterwards?" Victoria asked. "Won't he be furious once he knows he's been tricked? Wouldn't it better to just keep him unconscious until we've got our evidence?"

Diego had considered both those possibilities. "It would be too difficult and dangerous to keep him unconscious indefinitely. Much better to try to keep him off balance long enough for the truth to come out. And as for him becoming angry at the deception, he might well be, but I think his finding out he was wrong about José would be enough of a blow that he'd be more interested in redeeming that failure."

"And if he's not?" Victoria asked.

Diego hoped it wouldn't come to that, but there was a contingency, perhaps more desperate than the current plan. "We drug him again and hope we can convince him that everything he thought happened was a fever-induced hallucination and that Mendoza held off the execution until he had recovered, which would of course prove fortunate for him since he wouldn't be responsible for the death of an innocent man," Diego said, with a confidence he didn't entirely feel. However, he had to convince Mendoza that this was workable because without Mendoza's cooperation none of this could be carried out.

Mendoza still looked doubtful. "This sounds _loco_."

"Do you have a better idea, Sergeant?" Diego asked. He'd love for someone— anyone— to come up with a better idea. "Some way to save José that has a better chance than this?"

Shaking his head, Mendoza said, "No, the alcalde's too determined. But, Don Diego, how are we supposed to drug him?"

Diego knew this was going to be the tough bit. "I'm afraid we're going to have to count on you to do that."

Mendoza gulped. " _Madre de Dios_. If he catches me at it, he'll kill me."

"It's either that or hang an innocent man," Diego said. "It's all up to you."

After a long moment, Mendoza finally said, "All right, I'll do it."

"Good," Diego replied. "Now, I'm going home to check on Doña Maria and get the drug. I'll be back before lunch time."

"We're doing it so soon?" Mendoza asked.

"It's better not to wait," Diego said. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned to Victoria and pulled her to one side in order to talk with her privately a moment. "I'm going to hurry, but do your best to keep the good Sergeant from worrying too much. The beginning's going to be the tricky part, especially since I have no idea how many people will be willing to help."

"Don't worry. I'll do my part, my love. But definitely hurry," she said with an encouraging smile.

Kissing her hand, Diego hurried out the door to ride back to the hacienda. He hoped that Doña Maria might have regained consciousness so that there would be no reason to go through with his mad idea which was starting to worry him in its complexity. Unfortunately, she was still unconscious. Diego slipped down to the cave to retrieve the drug he needed. He'd just returned to the library, when his father walked in. Diego lost no time explaining the plan.

"That seems awfully complicated, Diego," Alejandro said. "And you're going to need a lot of cooperation. Have you considered what will happen if it doesn't work?"

"Well, I'm hoping the very fact that it is so crazy will protect us. De Soto wouldn't be able to report what happened without sounding mad himself, nor would he do himself much good by saying that the entire pueblo under his charge rebelled against him."

"You have a point, but how many will help us?"

"I don't know, but aside from the help setting the scene and getting the lancers' cooperation which will be more Mendoza's doing, all that we'll really be asking from others is that they either say nothing or stay out of the way..."

"Which is what they mostly do anyway," Alejandro finished. "All right. I'll make sure to send some of the vaqueros to help you with whatever you need. I'll also makes sure I have someone ready to deliver any message the moment that Doña Maria is conscious and able to talk."

"Thank you, Father," Diego said. "I've got to get back now. Everything is going to hinge on Mendoza having enough courage to go through with this."

"Then heaven help us all, son," Alejandro said, shaking his head, then smiling slightly to soften his words. "No, never mind. Go tilt at your windmill and hope it doesn't actually turn into a giant."

Diego sighed as he rode back to town. He could understand his father's doubt; this was going to be more challenging than his convincing the Emissary he was turning into an Indian. But he had managed to convince De Soto he was shrinking, surely this was more believable than that. It just required more accomplices than before. And that's where the doubts lay. Would the people get behind this plan? Or at least agree to stay out of the way?

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day Diego was standing in the tavern nervously awaiting the return of Mendoza from the alcalde's office, hoping that De Soto would believe the ruse. He had been absolutely astounded by how many people had agreed to help. They never could have gotten everything done in time without the large number of volunteers. But now it all relied on one man— one frightened man.

When Mendoza came hurrying up to the bar, Victoria was the first to speak. "Well, Sergeant?"

Trying to catch his breath, Mendoza looked around. "I think..." he said excitedly, "I think... he believed it."

The entire tavern cheered the news. Diego let out his own breath, relieved that their mad gamble seemed to have paid off.

Unfortunately, that relief was short lived. Only a few minutes after Mendoza's welcome news, De Soto came in, and it was clear he'd tumbled to it. All because of a carafe of wine— that Zorro had knocked over in the fight— the still damp stain of which Diego had passed a number of times as they'd set up the office. He should have noticed, even as he was shocked at De Soto's perception.

As a frightened Mendoza followed the alcalde out of the tavern, Diego tried to get past his frustration and think. Slipping into the kitchen followed by Victoria and Felipe, he told them, "I'm going back to the hacienda to check on Doña Maria. I have a bad feeling that it won't be too long before De Soto is going to insist on hanging someone. Since it was my plan, I want to make it harder for him to find me, but Mendoza is the most visible accomplice in the plan, and I can't let anything happen to him."

Victoria made a small Z between them.

"Yes, I'm afraid he's going to have to intervene," Diego said. "Both of you please keep an eye out, but be careful."

"We will," Victoria said, "but..." She stopped and simply leaned forward to embrace him before returning to the main room of the tavern.

Diego looked after her for a moment before turning to Felipe. "You know what to look for. If Doña Maria still can't speak, I don't think I'll be at the hacienda for long."

Felipe nodded his head, and Diego slipped out the back door of the tavern. He had at least thought to leave Esperanza behind the tavern. He hurried home with all speed. Luisa was still sitting by Doña Maria's bedside.

"Oh, Don Diego," she said. "Doña Maria's been stirring, muttering in her sleep, but nothing I can understand."

"That's all right, Luisa," Diego said. "Why don't you take a break for a little bit? I can't stay long, but a few minutes at least."

"Gracias," she said. "I could use a few minutes." She hurried from the room.

Diego checked Doña Maria's bandages. They seemed fine though they would need changing soon. She stirred restlessly, muttering words under her breath. Diego leaned forward to try to hear her.

"No... Tomás... don't..." her voice was barely understandable.

"Tomás?" Diego asked. "Tomás who?"

She shook her head, eyes still closed, but eventually Diego heard one word murmured, "Porras."

Tomás Porras. Diego knew he was another of Don Sebastian's tenants. This one with a reputation for gambling and a nasty temper. Someone far more likely to resort to violence than José Rivas. But there was no way he could take this to De Soto at the moment; he wouldn't believe in the words of a woman still mostly unaware. He also couldn't afford to wait here for her to fully regain consciousness. He knew De Soto was bound to want to make an example of somebody, and he was afraid Mendoza was the one who was going to suffer.

He told Luisa that he was going to go look more closely at the site where the Valverdes had been attacked, before slipping down to the cave. That site would bear closer examination but not now. Changing swiftly, he tacked Toronado before loading several of his crying gas bombs. This wasn't the best time to subject them to a full test, but he did know they worked.

Riding for Los Angeles, Zorro could see the crowd and recognized Mendoza standing on the scaffold. He apparently was in the nick of time, though with the special design of the scaffold he had some small leeway.

He could hear voices shouting his name as he approached, and De Soto shouted for Sepulveda to pull the lever. To his credit, the corporal was very slow to respond, not that it would do much good to pull it as Zorro knew very well, as he tossed one of his crying gas bombs at the largest group of lancers.

Realizing that Sepulveda was not going to pull the lever, De Soto grabbed it himself but found it wouldn't budge. Zorro threw a blade to cut through the rope above Mendoza's head, not willing to risk the sergeant's life on the trap door holding out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Victoria, Felipe, and his father turn over a produce cart to knock down a pair of lancers.

Hoping that Mendoza would have the good sense to grab the one solid pole, Zorro used his whip to grab onto the weak point of the gallows and pulled hard. Mendoza grabbed the pole as the other men on the platform fell to the ground.

Calling out to Mendoza, Zorro helped him onto Toronado's back before riding over to where his father and Victoria were standing.

"Avoid the white smoke. It's a mild form of crying gas," he said. "And I hate to be the cause of tears in the innocent." He was rewarded by the barest hint of a smile from Victoria. The one thing he missed most was the ability to flirt with her as Zorro, but the other compensations more than made up for the loss.

He turned Toronado to ride where De Soto was still sitting on the ground. "The wheels of justice move slowly for a reason," he said, unsheathing his saber. "They're not meant to run over innocent people." He slashed a _Z_ into De Soto's vest. "Call it a reminder to think twice before you rush to judgement." He sheathed his sword, and headed out of the plaza, Mendoza clinging to him, De Soto shouting after them.

Zorro rode straight until they were out of sight of the pueblo before veering off to take an indirect route to the place where Alejandro had sent José to hide, which by coincidence was the same barn that he'd taken the jewel thief Montez to hide two years earlier. Mendoza should be safe enough there until Doña Maria regained consciousness and could tell her story. In the mean time, once Mendoza was safely stowed, he could go track the genuine criminal.

As he rode along at an easy pace to make it easier on Toronado and Mendoza, he was surprised when Mendoza spoke to him. "Zorro, there's a question I've been wanting to ask you."

"A question, Sergeant?"he asked.

"Yes, well, it's something that's been bothering me for a while, and if I don't ask now I'll probably never get the chance."

Hoping that Mendoza wasn't going to do something as crazy as ask him who he was, Zorro said, "Ask your question, but I don't promise to answer."

"Fair enough," Mendoza said, but then he hesitated. "It's just up until... what happened at... Devil's Fortress... it seemed like you and Señorita Escalante... everyone thought you two were in love..." he went silent for a moment. "And then once she returned with Don Diego... suddenly you two weren't..."

Finally realizing what the sergeant was referring to, it took Zorro a moment to understand why Mendoza dated everything to the trip to Devil's Fortress— that trip had occurred barely a week after Victoria had figured out his secret. He wasn't sure, however, what exactly Mendoza wanted to know, but he would venture an explanation and hope for the best. "Are you asking if I mind that she's engaged to another man, Sergeant? I don't. Señorita Escalante is a beautiful woman, but a man with a price on his head isn't exactly in a position to marry. I knew that, but I hadn't thought too seriously about the subject," Zorro said, before taking a breath and hoping his next statement, a partial truth, would get by. "But then I met Don Diego on the road to Devil's Fortress and realized that he was in love with her too."

"Oh, sí, I knew that."

Zorro had to work not to show surprise at that statement. "You knew?" he asked, amazed that it came out evenly.

"Well, guessed," Mendoza said after a pause. "He's always been very protective of the señorita. One time he almost got killed in a duel defending her honor, and since he's such a peaceful man, I never thought he'd do something like that if he didn't love her."

"Oh," Zorro said, flatly. "Well, I'm afraid I didn't know until then, Sergeant, and then on the way back, I began to suspect that Señorita Escalante had strong feelings for Don Diego, and since he could offer her what I couldn't I decided to step aside. I wish them both the best, Sergeant."

"Good," Mendoza said. "I was afraid..."

"No, Sergeant. I'm happier being a free man," he said, hoping he sounded sincere and that it wasn't obvious that he simply referring to not being captured. "Now we're almost to where José is hiding. I'm going to leave you with him and see if I can't find the trail of the real killer."

~Z~Z~Z~

Tomás Porras was an easy man to track. So easy that Zorro couldn't help but think that he should have spent his time on this rather than the backfiring attempt to convince De Soto to be sensible. He had a hard time controlling the anger he was feeling at the entire situation.

Porras hadn't managed to get far. When Zorro found him, he was lying near the front of a cave near the burnt out remains of a campfire, so drunk he could barely even find his gun much less aim it before Zorro had him by the collar.

"I've been looking for you," Zorro said, trying to get the man to focus. While he was sure the man was the culprit, he wanted to go on more than a murmured name and a clear trail. He was not De Soto. "You shouldn't have done what you did."

The drunken man shook his head and tried pulling away. "I didn't mean to..." he babbled, too drunk to control his tongue. "Don Sebastian... should have... given me... the money. Doña Maria... shouldn't have... gotten in the way."

Disgusted, Zorro knocked the man out and draped him over his own horse before slicing a _Z_ into his trousers. Leading him away, Zorro headed back in the general direction of the cave but tied off the man's horse in a grove well out of sight of the entrance before hurrying to the cave, where he was relieved to see Felipe there waiting for him.

He changed as Felipe told him that Doña Maria was awake and wanting to go to the pueblo, that she knew who had killed her husband and tried to kill her.

Interrupting him, Diego said, "I know. Zorro's found him. I've got him tied up in that grove of trees. You know the one." Felipe nodded. "I'll try to get back and ride to town with my father. I'll need you to lead the horse towards the town. If any one sees you, tell them you found it, but otherwise only get close enough to send the horse to town on its own."

Nodding, Felipe headed out the back of the cave, while Diego went to look through the viewing hole. The library was clear, and he slipped into it quickly and quietly before heading for the front door and looking out. No one in the courtyard, though he saw the carriage waiting. Diego turned back when he saw his father turn the corner.

Apparently assuming that Diego had just come inside, Alejandro didn't waste a moment. "Oh, good, son. I'm glad you're here. Doña Maria is awake and remembers what happened. She's insisting on going to town to speak with the alcalde; Luisa's helping her get dressed. She shouldn't walk too much yet, so I'll need your help getting her to the carriage. I've also sent someone to get José. Best we get everything cleared up at once, so De Soto has no room to do anything but accept the truth; that should save both José and Mendoza, wherever Zorro took him."

"A good idea, Father," Diego said, relieved at the thought of everything getting tied up at once. The one consolation was that De Soto, unlike Ramone, was unlikely to persist in the face of Señora Valverde's direct testimony. Soon this whole mess should be over.

~Z~Z~Z~

There was a celebratory air in the tavern that evening. Tomás Porras was in jail, snoring off his drunkenness. José was free, and Mendoza reinstated. Doña Maria had insisted on returning to her home where she was being looked after by her own servants and Dr. Hernandez who had returned from the Indian settlement.

De Soto showing a rare wisdom or perhaps to avoid further humiliation was staying in his rooms, ostensibly to make sure nothing happened to his prisoner, so the people could celebrate with some relief. And the people did. Diego tried very hard to appear cheerful though an anger that he couldn't entirely explain simmered under the surface.

He spent some time watching Victoria as she bustled about the very busy tavern, apparently to his father's amusement, though Alejandro gently teased him about not paying attention to anything else. Diego had offered to help Victoria earlier, but she was adamant that he sit and relax as he'd had a very busy night and day. Mendoza and José were both focal points of attention, and Mendoza was getting a great deal of enjoyment moving from group to group telling the story of his daring escape with Zorro.

When Mendoza stopped at the table for a moment, Diego had to add his congratulations. "You really were the hero of the day," Diego said, sincerely. "Your bravery was remarkable."

"Well, it was your plan..." Mendoza said, apparently wanting to be fair.

"That almost got you hanged," Diego broke in. "No, Sergeant, it was your bravery and belief in José that made any of this possible. You deserve all the glory." Diego meant every word. He had been amazed and humbled by the bravery and loyalty Mendoza had shown not just to him but everyone by claiming to have masterminded the entire plot all by himself, taking all of the blame, facing all of the consequences. Diego wasn't sure he'd ever be able to repay the debt.

"Gracias, Don Diego," Mendoza said, as he moved on.

Alejandro looked at Diego and then spoke to him quietly. "You know, Mendoza's right. If you hadn't come up with a plan to delay José's hanging, he wouldn't be here tonight. You're the one who got everyone working together for a common goal. It may not have gone to plan, but what you accomplished was remarkable. I'm proud of you, son."

Pleased by his father's compliment but tired and still angry about all that had gone wrong, about almost getting Mendoza killed, Diego couldn't keep sitting still, so he smiled pleasantly and thanked his father while still disclaiming any real merit and then excused himself from the table, heading in the general direction of Victoria before slipping through the curtains to the kitchen and then out the back door. He sat on a bench near the tavern wall and stared up at the stars in the sky. The clear night sky. He couldn't help but think that rain would have helped their cause. Not that it mattered now. Why was he so angry when everything was fine?

He barely noticed when Victoria sat beside him until she took her hand in his. Then he glanced down at her, barely able to make out her features in the dim light.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked.

He could just make out her smile as she squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I knew you wouldn't leave without saying good night, but you've been looking distinctly uncomfortable all evening, so when you disappeared, it was easy to guess where you'd gone."

Leaning forward to kiss her forehead, he said, "I'm engaged to a distressingly perceptive woman."

"Not perceptive enough to know what's bothering you unless you tell me," she replied. "Was it something your father said?"

"No," Diego said. "Well, not in an expected way. He was praising my contribution to José's survival."

"And that bothers you?" she asked.

He knew it shouldn't, yet it did. "I can't help but think of everything that went wrong."

"But more went right," Victoria said.

"I know, but for some reason I'm still angry," he said.

Victoria looked at him, leaning close to better see in the dim light. "About what?" she asked softly.

"I'm not sure entirely," Diego said, but decided to try to figure it out rather than bury it. "I know I'm angry that we have an alcalde who would rather hang an innocent man than serve justice; that Zorro hasn't learned it's pointless to try to reason with an unreasonable man; that I missed such an obvious clue as a wet wine stain; that the lancers and citizens who went along with Mendoza on the plan stood by as De Soto was going to hang him..." He paused for a moment then spoke more quietly. "I know he's got the authority of the government behind him, yet somehow I'm still angry that one man has the power to cow the people."

"Well, we have another man capable of rescuing the people," Victoria said.

"And how long is he going to have to do that?" Diego asked, rhetorically. He looked back up into the night sky. "How long before he makes a fatal mistake?"

Victoria wrapped her arms around him. "Don't think about that. Even with all that went wrong, today was a good day."

"Yes, but..."

"Everyone fought for justice," Victoria placed a finger against his lips, "and they did it because of you. Maybe they weren't all as brave or as strong as you would hope, but you inspire them, and it is a start."

Diego hung his head thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right. Maybe... maybe I need to have more faith."

"Sí, as I do."

"You really believe in the people of this pueblo, don't you?"

Victoria smiled gently and took Diego's face in hands. "Almost as much as I believe in you."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was an odd one for me. Since I wasn't really changing any of the events of the story, normally I'd have started at the end or near it, but Diego's crazy plan always bothered me. It seemed a bit extreme even for him, so I felt a compelling need to try to find an explanation for why he'd come up with such a strange plan. I'm not sure how well I succeeded.
> 
> Next Up: "Test of Faith." Another post episode story.


	13. It's All Relative (After Test of Faith)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, a man has to point out the obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story refers to the episode "Test of Faith" written by Robert L. McCullough.

Although the wound in his leg was still miraculously not bothering him, Diego carefully cleaned and wrapped it before getting dressed, as he didn't want to take the chance of infection or reopening the wound while he was around De Soto this morning. It would be far too difficult to explain how he'd been cut in the same leg as Zorro. He was going to need all his wits about him to deal with the primary issue, and he didn't need to be side tracked.

Riding in to town, Diego made his first stop the tavern, not only because he wanted to see Victoria but also he expected that Mendoza would probably still be there finishing up breakfast, and there were a couple of things he needed to find out from the good sergeant before approaching De Soto. He was very pleased to see that he was correct. Mendoza was still eating breakfast, which gave him time to talk to Victoria first.

"Good morning, Victoria," he said, kissing her hand. "You look particularly lovely today."

She smiled at him. "Gracias, Diego. You seem to be in a charming mood today. What brings you to town so early?" she asked.

"Two reasons," he said. "The first is to see you, and ask if you would be willing to go riding with me after I take care of the second reason I'm in town. It's a beautiful day, not too cold."

"I would love to go riding with you, Diego," she said, "it seems as if I've hardly seen you recently. However, what's your other reason for being in town?"

"I need to speak with our alcalde about something," Diego said softly. "You know, he came out to the hacienda yesterday for reasons that he never got around to explaining since he was distracted by our unusual visitor."

"Yes, I heard all about that. A foreigner of some kind that De Soto claimed was a spy. I understand Zorro helped him get away," Victoria said evenly.

"So it seems," Diego replied as if he had no knowledge of it. "However, I can't simply hope that De Soto has let go whatever peculiar idea about my great, great, great grandmother being French has given him, though I have a vague suspicion what was on his mind. I do need to ask Mendoza a couple of questions before talking to De Soto to make sure I'm on the right track."

Victoria looked worried. "There won't be anything dangerous, will there?"

"There shouldn't be, Victoria. If this is what I think it is, it's a job for a scholarly man— and a de la Vega," Diego said with a slight grin. "It shouldn't take long, and then we can go riding."

"I could pack us some lunch," Victoria said.

"That would be wonderful," Diego said. "We don't have nearly enough time together."

"I'll get started then, since the sooner you take care of your other business, the sooner we can leave," Victoria said.

Facing away from the rest of the room, Diego, with a longing look in his eyes, turned her hand over to place a soft kiss on her palm, making her blush. Then composing his expression, he turned and crossed the room to Sergeant Mendoza.

"Hola, Don Diego," Mendoza said as Diego sat across from him.

"You look glum this morning, Sergeant," Diego replied.

"Well, the alcalde is in a bad mood because that stranger, Hir... Hir..." Mendoza stumbled over the name.

"Hiroshi?" Diego prompted.

"Yeah, him," Mendoza said. "The alcalde is cranky because Zorro rescued him, and he's upset with the men for not catching them, even though we never do. And when they described how the stranger fought..." Mendoza shrugged. "They're all doing foot patrols today; I'm just glad I wasn't with them."

"I'm glad as well, Sergeant, as there is something I need to ask you."

"What is it, Don Diego?"

"Yesterday, before the business with Hiroshi came up, the alcalde was asking my father about a French great, great grandmother. Do you know what it was he was really after?"

Mendoza shook his head. "I think he's looking for a way to get more money for Spain to fight wars."

"And what has that to do with my family tree?" Diego asked.

"I don't know but I think he's looking for an excuse to confiscate land. He was talking about bloodlines and land grants being only for those of pure Spanish heritage. It doesn't really makes sense since most of the families have been here for a long time. I'm just hoping he forgets about it before Zorro figures out what he's got on his mind."

"Chances are he might find himself in more serious trouble than that," Diego said mildly. "Now, I've got to go over and talk to the man himself."

"Be careful," Mendoza said. "He's liable to get more angry. He wasn't very happy with you either."

"Oh, I'll be very diplomatic, Sergeant," Diego said. "But I absolutely must speak to him this morning."

"Good luck then," Mendoza said.

"Thank you, Sergeant," Diego replied, hoping he wasn't going to need it.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego took a moment to collect his thoughts before entering the alcalde's office. He would have to do this carefully, or he'd just make the man more stubborn, as he knew, to his frustration. But De Soto was an ambitious man with a chip on his shoulders, and Diego had a good idea of just what buttons he needed to push.

While Diego had been born into a privileged class, he had never felt he was superior because of it, only that he had more responsibilities to help those with less resources or protection than he himself had been blessed with. He wasn't unaware of the general reputed arrogance of aristocracy, but it had no place out here in California where people no matter what their class needed to be able depend on each other. However, Diego thought that today was a day to put on a bit of the confidence of a man who was connected by blood to Spanish nobility, different from the arrogance he tended to put on as Zorro. But he'd have to play it carefully to keep himself from seeming too different from the harmless scholar he usually pretended to be.

"Buenos días, alcalde," he said mildly after he entered the room.

De Soto looked up from his desk. Diego noticed that he had genealogical texts open in front of him on the desk. It looked like the alcalde hadn't given up his idea.

"Diego, if you're here about that little heathen devil..." De Soto said impatiently.

"No, alcalde, I've already heard what happened," he said, forcing himself not to show the contempt he felt at De Soto's bigotry. It was yet another of the vices that made De Soto a bad leader, especially in California where intermarriage was not uncommon and in fact had been encouraged by Spain. It seemed as if the man were incapable of understanding the differences between the old world and the new. He still had to wonder why De Soto would voluntarily go to a place he had so much contempt for. He must have been feeling a bit desperate for advancement, and Diego was sure he could work on that now.

"Yes, that pestilential Zorro helped the little spy escape. Who knows where he's gone?" De Soto shrugged as a sign of indifference at being bested again.

"Well, you can take comfort that you did all you could," Diego said trying to keep his voice mild before launching into what he wanted to deal with. "I've come on another matter, one I think you'll find very important." This is the part that would require great care.

"And what could you say that I'd find important?" De Soto asked.

Diego with an air of mild concern sat down in a chair and said, "I've come to tell you that I believe you may be the victim of a plot."

"A plot?" De Soto asked skeptically but with obvious interest. "What kind of plot?"

Leaning forward to look at the books on the desk, Diego said, "I believe that someone, possibly someone attached to the governor's office, is trying to get you replaced."

"Replaced? What do you mean?" De Soto demanded, and Diego knew he had him hooked.

"I'm sure you know our previous alcalde came from Mexico," Diego said. "And I'm also sure it won't surprise you to hear that there are those who felt that his replacement should have come from Alta California rather than Madrid. I believe your appointment caused definite disappointment in some prominent families. You know how it can be with families with too many younger sons."

"It was the king's choice," De Soto said but not with as much confidence as he apparently trying to convey.

"Indeed, but as you've pointed out, we're eight thousand miles from Madrid, and I believe that it's possible that one of the passed over local candidates is trying to prove you... ," Diego paused a moment before adding in a flat, matter-of-fact tone, "unfit for the job."

De Soto's fingers started drumming nervously on his desk though he was clearly trying to appear to be taking only a condescending interest. "Diego, you're hardly ever out of your books. How could you possibly know about a plot?"

"Well, I do correspond with quite a few people, alcalde," Diego replied with a determined mildness, "and that along with something I heard makes me think that you might be headed with some trouble with the governor."

"And what is that?" De Soto asked impatiently.

Diego put his hands on one of the books on the desk. "I understand that you've been researching the local families to determine if they fulfill the requirements for the land grants. And that somehow my French great-great-great grandmother fits into that."

"Yes," De Soto said, a dark gleam in his eye. "Spain needs money to finance its wars in Europe, and it's my task to find more. The original colonial land grants were given to those only of Spanish heritage. Therefore only those of pure Spanish blood deserve the rights of full citizenship."

"And that's the trap, alcalde." Diego rose, crossed to the adjacent window and looked out at nothing in particular. He was at the dangerous point in the conversation, and he had to be careful. "I don't know who suggested that to you, but they certainly did not mean to do you or your career any good," Diego said evenly, though he was sure that the notion had been De Soto's own, prompted solely by a desire to ingratiate himself with Spanish authorities by increasing the king's revenue. "As you've pointed out, I do spend a lot of time with my books, and not simply on matters of art and science. I have also done a lot of reading concerning my family's holdings and responsibilities. While as you have pointed out the original grants were for those of Spanish heritage, nothing was said of them being _pure_ Spanish blood. With your experience in Madrid you should have at least a rudimentary understanding of how aristocratic alliances are made."

Diego turned back to look at De Soto. "You see, when it comes to nobility, national lines don't matter nearly so much as blood lines. The king may be in need of money but I don't think he would be pleased to have a kinsman dispossessed because of ignorance. Or have it known that _his_ land grants are considered to easily dispensable."

Step-by-step, Diego had been inching his way closer to where De Soto sat until now he was nearly standing over him. For all his obstinance and arrogance, Diego had never thought De Soto a complete fool and to be certain, he could see in the man's eyes that he was beginning to think on what was being said to him.

"There are many powerful families in California whose blood would not be considered purely Spanish and who would call into question any man who'd be presumptuous enough to cast doubt on the legitimacy of their position." Diego leaned down ever so slightly. "And that man might find his own background called into question, especially a man who's pulled himself up through the ranks, without _any_ form of noble patronage. Some might even look on that as the perfect excuse to remove him, showing him to be ignorant of both Californian customs and those of the privileged classes. Add that in with any other possible irregularities they might find..."

"What irregularities?" De Soto demanded.

"I really couldn't say," Diego said innocently, knowing it was much better to let De Soto's guilty conscience do the work here. "I do know that Los Angeles has been given the right to elect an alcalde separate from the military commandant, something we haven't done in a long time, but the governor might insist on that if he perceives the governance of the pueblo to be lacking."

"I see," De Soto said, trying to look completely unworried and failing. "I thank you for your concern, but I don't think you need worry." He looked at the books. "I was simply familiarizing myself with the local families in order to better perform my duties."

"Of course, alcalde," Diego said, managing with great effort not to smile at his obvious excuse. "I don't know why I thought any different. I'm glad to see you've got everything in hand. I am confident that a man of your character will act in exactly the manner to be expected of him."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego and Victoria were well out of town before she asked the question that had obviously been bothering her. "So did you accomplish what you wanted in the alcalde's office?"

"I believe so," he replied, hoping he'd planted a seed that would take root. De Soto's behavior might improve if he felt that there was someone closer at hand who could hurt his career in a more serious way than Zorro. "I did my best to convince him that any attempt to try to confiscate lands on the basis of blood purity would be liable to get him in more trouble with the governor and the king than he'd get any benefits from it."

"Is that true?" Victoria inquired. "Is that a way to get rid of him?"

"I wish I could be sure," Diego said. "It should be; what he was thinking _would_ get some very powerful Californians angry with him. But on the other hand, if someone could find profit in it, he could as easily get away with it. Los Angeles is a very small pueblo after all. And as we already know to our sorrow, there's no guarantee that the next man would be any better, and in fact, he could be a whole lot worse. De Soto still has _some_ traces of conscience."

"In other words, better the devil we know," Victoria replied.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said. The most frustrating part about De Soto is that there were times when there were flashes of the leader he could be, but they were too few to make up for the actual failures, including that ambition that caused him to ride roughshod over justice and occasionally common sense.

"Where are we heading to?" Victoria asked as she looked around.

"Not to the place we had our last picnic," Diego said. "I'm in no mood to be interrupted by our alcalde again, not that I expect it." He glanced at her. "It's not too far from the cave, in case the weather turns cold. It's a pleasant, quiet spot, and I would like to spend some uninterrupted time with you."

"I thought your father wanted more supervision," she said.

"Yes, but the worst he would do is move our wedding forward, and I have no objection to that," Diego replied with a wicked grin. "But don't worry, I intend to behave."

"Are you so sure _I_ intend to?" Victoria teased him, causing him to blush for once.

It was only a few minutes longer before they reached the spot Diego had been heading for, a small grove of trees near a small spring. Leaves still clung to the branches even at this time of year, though there was a light layer of them which crunched as Victoria spread the blanket Diego had brought on the ground beneath the largest tree. Diego carried over the food Victoria had packed for them and set it at one corner of the blanket.

Victoria smiled at him as she sat down on the blanket. He sat next to her, a little carefully to be sure not to aggravate his leg injury, glad that she didn't seem to notice. He didn't want her worrying over something so minor.

Taking her hand in his, Diego ran his thumb over the back as he looked at the ring on her finger. Normally, she kept it locked up during the day, since she didn't want to risk damage to it while she was working in the tavern. In fact to make it easier for her to protect the ring and any other small valuables, he'd managed to install two hidden compartments, one in her pantry and one in her room. However, while he understood her reasoning and approved, he was selfish enough to want to give her something she could wear all the time as a symbol of his affection.

"What is it, Diego?" Victoria asked. "You're looking rather serious. Is it something else about De Soto?"

He looked up in surprise. "Oh, no, I was thinking about something else. Actually, something I have for you."

Victoria smiled, "For me?"

"Yes, I was going to wait until Christmas, but I don't want to wait any longer."

"It's not like you to be impatient. What is it?"

"Close your eyes, querida," Diego said. " _Por favor_."

"All right," she said, complying with his request.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small thin box and placed it in her hands.

"Open your eyes," he said.

Victoria did so and looked down at the box. Opening it, she saw a small pendant in the shape of a stylized flower in red and green hung on a very simple gold chain. "Diego, it's beautiful," she said. "Did this belong to your mother?"

Diego shook his head. "No, this I found while I was in Madrid, oh, about six years ago, and it made me think of you," he said.

Victoria looked at the necklace for a moment. "It's perfect, Diego."

She took it out of the box and turned to let him fasten it around her neck. He rested his hands on her shoulders for a moment before leaning down to kiss her neck. Leaning back against him with a soft sigh, tilting her head to the side to allow him better access, Victoria whispered, "Six years?"

"Yes. I've held onto it all this time," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist as he nuzzled her neck between words. "I didn't know if I would ever get the chance or have the courage to give it to you. But I did know that it would never be anyone's but yours." Diego pulled her in a little closer and whispered in her ear, "Just like my heart."

"Why now?" she managed to ask though she found it difficult to concentrate.

Placing a kiss just below her ear, he sighed slightly. "Mostly selfishness... I want you to have something of mine that you can wear all the time, even while working in the tavern."

Twisting her head towards him, Victoria reached up to caress his cheek. "Hmm, it's not like you to be possessive."

"Oh, querida," he said, tightening his arms around her, "I've always felt possessive..." Diego faltered a bit, "and foolish."

"Foolish?" Victoria asked.

"It's just that I spent so long hiding myself, hiding my feelings behind a mask and even after that, we still had to hide things. Now... now that everything is out in the open... I want the world to know that I love you."

"And I want it to know that I love _you_." She maneuvered herself around to kiss him and bumped into his sore leg, causing him to wince.

"What is it, Diego?" she asked as she sat back.

He looked a bit sheepish. "It's nothing, really," he said.

Victoria regarded him with more suspicion. "What's nothing?" she demanded.

"It was no more than a deep scratch," he said, talking quickly in an effort to distract her. "Minor really. Hiroshi, the stranger, had some remarkable skills. He was able to take away the pain entirely using pressure points. I do wish we'd had more time to talk, as I'd really liked to have learned more about how he did that. I know how to use pressure points to render someone unconscious but to be able to eliminate pain in that way... and it's so unlikely that I'll get another opportunity to learn. I don't know of any books that detail..." He trailed off as he saw the expression on her face that told him she knew full well what he was trying to do.

"You should have told me," she said, indignantly, letting her eyes run over him in concern. "Where did you get hurt? Let me see."

He squirmed a little. "Just my leg, but I'm afraid it's a little too high to let you see until after we're married, querida," he said with a wry grin. "Trust me; it's been dealt with properly. I barely noticed it."

Victoria wasn't particularly convinced. "Something tells me that once we're married, I'm going to need a day to take inventory of all your scars and find out how you've gotten them."

"I look forward to that day," Diego said, trying not to let his thoughts dwell too much on the idea. "But perhaps now would be a good time for some lunch. I did promise to behave after all."

"I thought you were behaving rather well," Victoria replied, with a soft sigh. "But I won't tempt you any further."

"Oh, just being you is temptation enough," Diego said. "However, I actually did have some news to tell you."

"And there's something I need to discuss with you as well," Victoria said as she pulled the food out of the bags.

They both took what they wanted and sat facing each other as they ate while they talked.

"Oh, what is that?" he asked. "Have you heard from your brothers?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. They're always moving around so much it's hard to know when a letter will reach them. I'm hoping perhaps in another month. And that brings me to what I need to talk to you about."

"And what is that?" He hoped it wasn't about Zorro, though they did need to discuss that at some point. The closer their wedding came, the less he wanted to have to continue being the masked bandit.

"What we're going to do about the tavern," she said. There was so much they hadn't yet discussed, but this was a critical subject.

"I'd say that depends on what you want to do about it," Diego said. "I wouldn't dare try to tell you what to do with your family business."

"I know, my love, but that doesn't change the fact that after we're married, I won't be able to run the tavern as I have. As your wife, there will be a lot for me to do." She blushed a little. "Especially once there are children. But this is my family's legacy. I can't simply sell it."

"I wouldn't ask you to," Diego said. "What is it you want to do?"

While Victoria appreciated that he deferred to her about the tavern, she hoped he wouldn't remain noncommital in giving her some advice. "In my letters to both my brothers, I've asked if either of them want to take over the tavern. I don't know what they're going to say; neither of them have really expressed that much interest in the business in the past, but that could have changed. In the meantime, I need to find a reliable manager. Someone I can trust to run the tavern the way I want and not try to cheat either the customers or me and not be cheated either. Preferably someone who can read and write and do basic arithmetic. I haven't really had much luck in the past, and it may only end up being a temporary position, depending on my brothers' responses."

"Well, I could put a notice for you in the paper. That should help with finding someone who can at least read. Also, my father's got me going to San Pedro for him next week. There are some people I can ask if they know of anybody with tavern experience that might be interested in a move to Los Angeles. And my father has a very wide acquaintance as well; I'm sure he could also make inquiries for you."

"That would be helpful," Victoria said as she continued eating. "There is so much that we haven't talked about that we should." _Like how our marriage will affect Zorro and when you'll be willing to tell your father about him_ , she thought.

Diego sighed. "True, we haven't, and that's one of the things I wanted to mention to you. I know my father wants to talk with us this week about some of the details. He's very keen to be sure that every eventuality and detail of our marriage is seen to. In fact, I suspect that he's been working out all the logistics since the moment our public courtship started."

"He's been wanting you to marry for a long time," Victoria replied.

"Yes, but he seems to have far too good an idea of exactly what _we_ specifically need to deal with for even two months planning. He's been writing to his lawyer, and well, he has a lot he wants to talk about," Diego said, with another sigh.

"It's all part of getting married," Victoria said. For some reason she found it endearing that Diego didn't particularly want to deal with the planning part of the wedding. Perhaps because he was such a perfectionist in other things, that it was nice to find a genuine rather than pretended weakness. And it gave Alejandro free rein to do exactly as he wanted, which considering how long he'd been wanting his son to get married was a benefit to him.

"I know. It's just the tedious side of it," Diego replied. "Oh, I do have some other wedding related news."

"What's that?" Victoria asked.

Diego leaned against the tree now that he was done eating. "Nothing critical. Father's just gotten a letter of acceptance from Great Aunt Catalina. Apparently she'd been visiting some friends further south and just received his letter," he said. "She told him that she wondered what had taken me so long to propose." He smiled a little reminiscently. "She knew I was in love with you. When I stopped there on my way down to... Devil's Fortress..." He got hesitant again.

"It's all right," Victoria said. "She knew?" She had thought that Doña Catalina seemed oddly knowing, yet Diego had remained very formal and distant during that particular part of their journey. It had puzzled her.

"Yes, she's distressingly perceptive, and I suspect she suspects about Zorro..." he said.

"Really?" Victoria asked, wiping her hands. She wondered if this was something to worry about. She'd really liked Doña Catalina (in some ways she'd reminded her of Abuelita) and hoped she was trustworthy.

"It's a distinct possibility. But she'd never tell anyone, not even my father, even if she thought he knew," Diego said, before moving on to another thought. "We've also heard from my cousin Raphael and his wife. They should both be able to make it as well. I haven't seen them since _their_ wedding. I'm not sure how well you remember them."

Victoria blushed red but was grateful he made no mention of the childish fight she'd gotten into with Margarita. Perhaps he'd forgotten about it, since he would only have heard of it second hand. "I remember them Diego," she said. "Anything else."

"Not at the moment. We're not sure when my Uncle Cecilio and Aunt Magdalena will arrive in California, but Father sent a letter to the family attorney in Monterey, so hopefully we'll hear from them once they're settled in."

"Diego," Victoria said suddenly, "I've just realized. They both know how well you did with your training in Madrid, don't they?"

He nodded. "I'm afraid so. However, they too are very loyal to family. Besides, Uncle Cecilio was far more interested in my academic efforts, and Aunt Magdalena is the very soul of discretion."

"So I can't expect to hear stories of what you got up to in Madrid?" Victoria asked with a smile.

Diego's gaze dropped, and he stared at the blanket next to him. "If I'm fortunate, you won't," he muttered.

Victoria lifted an eyebrow, and seeing her expression out of the corner of his eye, Diego hastened to add. "Nothing that I'm truly ashamed of. More the embarrassing mistakes of youth."

Which was true enough, with the exception of one particular adventure which could have resulted in a mistake he _would_ have been thoroughly ashamed of. It had been too narrow of an escape for him to ever want anyone else to know the details, not his father and especially not Victoria. Fortunately, only his uncle and Sir Edmund had known the full details, and he trusted his uncle not to say anything.

Uncle Cecilio wasn't entirely the absent-minded man he pretended to be either, and he had been a source of support and rescue when things had gotten awkward, which was another reason why he'd felt a bit guilty for not telling his aunt and uncle he'd almost married Zafira, a subsequent error in judgement that he should have known better to have made. Diego knew that if prompted his uncle would only tell of his academic goofs or his early social _faux pas_ , and leave out the more serious foolishness.

"Hmm," she said, coming to sit beside him. "I'd like to know about times when you weren't so perfect as you are now."

He pulled her closer and looked into her eyes, lost in their depths. "I don't think perfect is quite the word you were looking for," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

Sometime later, Victoria, her voice husky, said, "I'd call that perfect."

"More like perfectly frustrating," he whispered, his fingers trailing down her cheek, "at least for now." He sighed. "But I think we'd better head back, as I'd rather not court too much more temptation today."

"And I don't want to risk hurting your leg again," Victoria said.

"There's not much to worry about there," he said, as he got up and lifted her to her feet in a single smooth motion. He gave her one last breathtaking kiss before resolutely gathering everything they had brought and repacking it in their saddlebags.

~Z~Z~Z~

They rode back into town just before siesta, stopping at the livery stable to take care of Victoria's horse before heading back to the tavern.

As they left the stable, Diego turned to Victoria with a smile. "Will you come for dinner on Thursday? My father asked me to invite you but that part seemed to have slipped my mind."

Victoria fingered the pendant on her necklace lightly. "You had a few other matters on your mind," she teased him lightly.

He caressed her cheek. "I find it very hard to think of anything else when I'm around you, querida," he said with a smile. "So will you come?"

"Of course," she replied. "I must admit that I'd like to know exactly what your father has in mind for our wedding. It's only seven months away."

"A very long seven months," Diego retorted.

Victoria smiled. "It won't seem so long after we've talked to your father."

"I don't think any talk of his _will_ be long enough to shorten the time significantly," Diego said, thinking of what was making the time seem to stretch into infinity.

"Oh I am sure there will be a lot we can do to fill that time," Victoria said flirtatiously.

Diego leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Yes, but that may prove as frustrating as the wedding preparations."

"Would you rather be completely proper?" Victoria put her hand on his arm in a light caress.

"Not a chance," Diego replied, leaning in to give her a brief kiss. "However, in the interests of being something of a gentleman, allow me to escort you back to the tavern." He held out his arm

"Thank you, kind sir," Victoria replied as she took the offered arm.

They walked back to the tavern. As soon as they were inside, Victoria went to talk to her helpers while Diego went to talk with Mendoza who was just finishing his lunch. He spent as much time in the tavern as he could get away with, especially when the alcalde was in one of his usual foul moods.

Mendoza greeted Diego with a weary smile before saying, "I don't know what you said to the alcalde, but he put away all those genealogy books and has been pouring through all the dispatches for the last year. He's been asking me all morning about that period after our last alcalde died, and you know that was a pretty uncomfortable time."

"I'm sorry, Sergeant," said Diego. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"Well, it was awkward but not really too awkward, since he didn't really want to hear about what I'd been doing," Mendoza said, apparently wanting to be fair. "I'm just glad he's now busy with the papers and done with me, though it looks like there are more maneuvers in our future."

Diego wasn't sure whether this shift in focus would have positive or negative consequences for the pueblo in general. He hoped he hadn't pushed De Soto too hard. That was the difficulty with the man. But it did seem that he'd succeeded well enough in throwing De Soto off the idea of confiscating land based on specious heritage excuses. However, Diego prayed he hadn't started something worse by his arguments. The only consistent thing about Ignacio De Soto was that he tended to choose the most impetuous, short-sighted course of action.

Unsure as he was, Diego said, "Let me at least buy your lunch today."

"Gracias, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "I won't say no." He finished his glass of wine and stood up. "Thank goodness, it's siesta. Adiós."

Once Mendoza was out the door, Victoria turned to Diego. "Is this sudden shift of focus a good thing or a bad thing?"

Diego looked across to the cuartel. "I wish I knew. It does seem to mean that he's abandoned his last scheme, which is good. However, there's no telling what his next mad idea will be. I doubt that he's decided to try to impress his superiors by his sense of justice and leadership. Or if he has, it's his warped idea of what justice and leadership really are."

Coming up beside him, Victoria wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned against him. "So same as always?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Victoria asked.

"Yes. De Soto is arrogant, impetuous, short-sighted, but... I don't know. Every once in a while, he shows a glimmer of... something." Diego looked down at Victoria. "I guess I'm holding out hope for him, even if it is only a sliver."

"You _really_ are the most noble man I've ever known," Victoria said as she lifted her head to kiss him. "I love you."

"And I love you."

Diego looked back out across to the cuartel and stared thoughtfully at the door to the alcalde's office. He felt better than he had in a sometime. Not only was he making ready to start the life with Victoria that he thought would never come, he'd managed to head off the alcalde's plans as Diego instead of Zorro. He doubted he would ever be able to unmask, but maybe, just maybe, he could let Zorro fade away in time. Perhaps, with care, he could adjust the way he presented his unmasked self in public and also manage to become more of the son his father wanted him to be.

He sighed contentedly, kissed the top of Victoria's head and smiled. He did mean it when he said he had hope for De Soto, but for the first time in a long while, he had even more for himself.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to skip this episode for two reasons. One, because Victoria wasn't in it, and two, because I find it to be a dull mess. However, though I can't remember who (though I think it might have been pamz), someone somewhere mentioned the whole blood purity plot line that got dropped and not picked up again, and I thought I could do something with that. So here's another post episode story, dealing a very little with that plot thread. Also Victoria and Diego indulge in some canoodling and some conversation, which I only mention because of an irresistible urge to use the word canoodle in a sentence, and it just wouldn't work in the story.
> 
> Additionally, I wanted a story where Diego followed up a bit on his desire to try to do some things as himself before resorting to Zorro— in this case, trying to be sure that De Soto really dropped his ludicrous notion of confiscating land based on purity of blood— something I thought Diego would be in a good position to deal with.
> 
> I also wanted to deal with a small thing that kind of bothered me once I got the two of them engaged and that was Victoria's wearing an expensive heirloom ring while she was working in the tavern. I just couldn't ignore the possibility of it getting damaged or stolen, and I didn't want to try to fit that or some of the wedding discussion into the "Rush to Judgement" story. 
> 
> And this is a story that couldn't have been finished without the magic touch of Ghetto Outlaw. He's got a great gift for gentle criticism and knowing the right suggestions and improvements to make, especially when I feel like I've lost my way (as I did with this story), but since he's only helping with what I've written and since, unfortunately, he is unable to turn lead to gold, all the weaknesses are still my own.
> 
> Next Up: "Dirty Tricks."


	14. By Hook or By Crook (Dirty Tricks)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Politics can take strange turns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Dirty Tricks" was written by Philip John Taylor.

Victoria was in a bad humor that day. The tavern was the busiest it had been in some time, and while that was a good thing, she'd hardly had time to take a break all morning. She'd barely been able to say hello to Diego before having to get back to business. Mendoza was going on about some dream of his where apparently she was some kind of incredibly shrewish alcalde, and then some idiot who apparently could barely read decided to try for the job of manager by insinuating that she was looking for a man to bed her. He was lucky that all she did was slap his face. If she hadn't been across the bar from him, she would have gone for a decidedly lower target.

As she stormed off to the kitchen, she thought it was a great pity that neither Pilar nor Alicia wanted the job. While Pilar didn't mind being left in charge for short periods, she had difficulties dealing with the tradespeople and was reluctant to stay for the overnight guests, and Alicia was perfectly content with cooking and serving customers and had no particular ambitions to anything more. Victoria decided to concentrate on cooking for a while, and let Pilar and Alicia deal with the customers, though she was thinking that with the way things were going she'd need both a manager and another waitress/cook.

She wasn't surprised when Diego appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later.

"Are you all right, Victoria?" he asked.

"Fine," she said. "He deserved the slap."

"I have no doubt," he replied. "Can I help?"

"I thought you and your father had something to do."

"You're more important," he said.

"I can handle this," Victoria said, with a smile, before changing the subject to one of the things that was bothering her. "Does Mendoza really think I'd be a tyrant if I were in charge?"

"It's just a dream," Diego said. "And since the last two alcaldes have been tyrants, it doesn't surprise me that anyone he dreamed into the position would also be a tyrant. I imagine if it had been me..." Diego looked puzzled. "Perhaps enforced painting or music lessons..."

Victoria laughed. "Or enforced scientific training... You're right. I shouldn't take it personally, though it would be nice if we could choose our alcalde."

"Well, technically we have the right," Diego said. "Even though we've had the commander of the garrison filling that role, Los Angeles has been given the right to elect its own alcalde and town council. Something I was pointing out to our not so loved alcalde last week."

"Then why don't we?" Victoria demanded.

"Tyranny and apathy are a powerful combination," Diego said.

"We should do something to change that," she said.

Diego stood still for a long moment. "Perhaps we could," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe if it's brought out publicly enough that he couldn't ignore it... . A challenge... . Especially if it came from his nemesis... ."

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"A way we might make an election come through. I'm not sure it would work, but it's a definite thought. I need some time to think," he said.

"All right, I won't press you," Victoria said. "Now you'd better get out to your father before he starts wondering what you've been doing in here."

Diego turned to her and leaned down to give her a brief but thorough kiss. "I wouldn't want him to think it was all innocent," he said.

"That definitely wasn't innocent," Victoria said. "But I really do need to finish cooking, Diego, and you need to go with your father."

"If you insist," he said, giving her another kiss on her cheek this time. Then he disappeared from the kitchen.

~Z~Z~Z~

Alejandro didn't say anything about Diego's brief foray into Victoria's kitchen, but then Diego didn't expect him to. He would more likely have said something if Diego hadn't gone to see Victoria. His father got up as Diego walked back to the table.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes, father," Diego replied and followed him outside.

As he walked outside, Alejandro went back to the conversation they'd been having earlier with Mendoza on the subject of his dream. "You know, Diego," he said. "You're right. Sometimes dreams do come true, in a strange roundabout kind of way."

Diego couldn't help but agree. He'd once dreamed about being able to publicly remove Zorro's mask and claim Victoria's hand, and while the unmasking was unlikely to ever happen, he was going to marry Victoria in the not-too-distant future. He had another dream too. That of being the son his father wanted, but he didn't think it was safe for him to know Zorro's secret yet. He wasn't a man who could step aside when there was trouble, and if he knew his only son were Zorro and in danger, he couldn't be silent. However, in his own roundabout way, Diego was trying to improve his father's opinion without giving away his secret. He knew he'd been making some strides there, especially with his engagement to Victoria, which was also fulfilling one of his father's dreams, his hope of grandchildren in the near future. And they'd enjoyed teasing the sergeant a little as he seemed overly fixated on his nightmare.

Lost in thought he hadn't noticed the new boxes attached the hitching rail, until his father mentioned them. "What are these?" he asked.

Seeing Mendoza walking out of the tavern, Diego turned to ask him, "Sergeant, can you explain this?"

"Oh, sí, Don Diego. The Alcalde feels the plaza is too congested. This is his new tethering tax. If you tie your horse, you put fifty centavos into the box. If you don't put the fifty centavos in the box, your horse gets taken to the municipal corral, and you will be fined."

"That's a dreadful idea, sir," Alejandro said, even as he took some coins out his pocket and tossed them in the air in irritation.

Knowing there was no point in making a scene at the moment, Diego simply reached into his pocket for the money as he spoke the first words that came to his mind, "This town is getting far too crowded."

"Madre de Dios!" Mendoza exclaimed behind him. "That's what you said in my dream!"

Diego was starting to regret teasing Mendoza about the possibility of dreams coming true, as he seemed to be taking this all too seriously. Riding away, Diego tried to think of a way to get De Soto to drop the new tax without riding as Zorro.

~Z~Z~Z~

The new tethering tax didn't last very long. Three days later without any interference by Zorro or anyone else that Diego could tell, De Soto rescinded the tax. Most likely it was because people stopped tethering their horses in town on the second day, thus making it a very easy tax to bypass. Though De Soto glowered as he saw the empty hitching post, he said nothing to anyone, not even Mendoza.

Wondering if De Soto had any additional motives for either the tax or its reversal, Zorro even paid a late night visit to the alcalde's office. There wasn't much to be discovered. There were a couple of different official letters with contradictory instructions. One calling for more revenue for Spain and another about Monterey considering cutting the amount of funds for the cuartel on the grounds that they weren't necessary because of local taxes. He also saw a letter De Soto was drafting concerning the pay for the lancers. This might prove challenging come market day and unfortunately, would be something more in Zorro's line than Diego's.

~Z~Z~Z~

Four days later, it was market day, and Victoria was out doing the shopping for the tavern, and as she moved among the stalls, she noticed with irritation De Soto was trying to use government vouchers to buy food. Everyone else had to use money or barter. What good was a bit of paper when the alcalde's taxes cut into everything? And why wasn't he using those taxes to pay for supplies? She stopped as she saw Carlos, the vegetable vendor, demanding back his produce.

"Your voucher won't pay my rent. Give me back my vegetables!"

De Soto tried to soothe the vendor. "Relax, amigo. You'll be paid."

Victoria had had enough. Diego might have some hope for De Soto; she didn't, and she wasn't in the mood to sit back quietly today. "When? When will Carlos see his money?"

De Soto stood straighter and spoke in a way that was clearly meant to go over her head but didn't— another strike against the man. "The garrison is unfortunately suffering from an embarrassing cash flow problem at the present due to budgetary constraints stemming from a certain impecuniousness in the territorial coffers."

"So in other words, you're broke," Victoria snapped.

De Soto spoke angrily himself, but she wasn't sure whether it was anger at her asking questions or his annoyance that he was in this position to begin with. "I refuse to allow my men to starve because of bureaucratic red tape in Monterey. They must be fit. Always on the alert for forces of evil lurking in this pueblo and that includes that arch fiend... that menace to society..."

_Of course_ , Victoria thought bitterly, _it always came down to..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Zorro's voice. She should have expected this. Diego had told her that there might be a problem on market day. "Let me guess," Zorro said. "Me?" He dropped down from the tavern to the ground.

De Soto was quick to call out. "Lancers!"

However, Zorro was quicker and had his sword to De Soto's throat before the lancers could take aim. "You'll hit the ground a dead man, señor."

Victoria noted that as usual De Soto decided that discretion was the better part of valor when he said, "Hold your fire!" Then addressing Zorro said, "What do you want?"

"An honest day's pay for an honest day's work. These people cannot exist on credit. Pay them."

"Impossible! This pueblo is operating on a deficit and short of raising taxes," he said, then raised his voice to address the people, "which I have sworn never to do..."

Victoria couldn't believe that he'd have the gall to say that considering that stupid tethering tax from last week, and Zorro seemed equally incredulous as he interrupted him.

"Spare me the political rhetoric. You have six thousand pesos in your safe," he said with a wicked grin. "I checked."

Victoria almost laughed at De Soto's expression when he said, "You what? _That_ is the reward money for your capture."

"No one is ever going to collect it," Zorro said with a confidence that Victoria hoped would never prove to be misplaced. "So why not use it for something worthwhile. Now pay them!"

Again De Soto took on that pompous tone Victoria loathed. "No. The people of Los Angeles are willing to tighten their belts in support of the garrison."

Zorro lowered his voice. "I insist."

He sliced a _Z_ into De Soto's jacket and the crowd clapped as De Soto gave in— again.

Zorro looked around at the people before turning his attention back to De Soto. "You still believe the people of this pueblo support you? I'll wager that in a free election, you'd be lucky to get one vote."

And Victoria finally saw that this was what Di— Zorro had been leading to all along. A challenge to an election by getting De Soto riled. She couldn't resist adding her own fuel to the fire.

"Well, maybe one..." she sneered. "His own."

De Soto, losing his composure, insisted, "The people of Los Angeles respect me."

Victoria wondered if he was delusional enough to actually believe that ridiculous statement.

"Then why not prove it by holding a fair and open election?" Zorro asked. "Or do you choose to govern by intimidation and fear?"

"Señor, I would be pleased to hold a free election. But an election requires more than one candidate to run and..." He raised his voice as he looked around threateningly. "... since there is no one to run against me..."

As De Soto had been speaking, Victoria had been looking around. She'd hoped that Don Alejandro would be in town. He was one of the few people willing to stand up to the alcalde face to face; the other was Diego but he was standing there with a mask on. And Victoria realized that if no one volunteered to be a candidate right now, De Soto would rescind the offer, and they'd lose the opportunity perhaps for good, since De Soto seemed to want to believe that every one either respected or feared him too much to stand against him. Well, Victoria was not about to let him get away with that. Before De Soto could finish his sentence, Victoria shouted, "I will!"

The entire crowd seemed taken aback, De Soto most of all.

"What did you say?" he asked.

With the confidence born of her anger and disgust, Victoria said, "If that's all it takes to get you out of office, you have an opponent."

De Soto, realizing that he couldn't back down without looking more of a fool than usual, said, "So be it."

Zorro turned to her with a slight smile, and she could see the approval in his eyes. "Señorita, I commend your civic mindedness, and I'm sure you'll be the fairest alcalde in California. I must take my leave." He gave a slight bow before turning and punching De Soto in the stomach. Then he took out a coin and tossed it to Carlos. "For your vegetables, Monsieur." Then he was off and escaping from the lancers with his usual aplomb.

After Zorro had disappeared, De Soto stood up, straightened up his clothes and faced Victoria. "So, Señorita Escalante, you're determined to stand for election."

"As soon as you're willing to set the date," Victoria retorted.

De Soto looked at her craftily. "Well, I wouldn't want to delay the wheels of the electoral process. So I propose we hold the election in three days' time. Voting to be held in the plaza."

"Three days?" she asked incredulously.

"With your confidence, surely you don't require more time," he said.

"Of course not," Victoria retorted. "The sooner we can vote you out of office the better."

She turned and headed towards the tavern.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego and Felipe rode into town not too long after this. While Felipe disappeared into the crowd for a few minutes, Diego was properly amazed when Mendoza told him what had happened in the marketplace. Once he had heard the whole story, he entered the tavern to see Victoria busily talking with some people about the election. He approached her in his capacity as editor of the _Guardian_ and asked if she'd take a walk over to the newspaper and tell him her plans for the pueblo. She agreed readily.

She took a deep breath as she entered the office. "Gracias, Diego. I don't think I knew what I was getting into this morning." She sat down in one of the chairs. "It seems very hard to get the people to see what an opportunity this is to make this pueblo what it should be."

"Politics is a trying business, Victoria," Diego said as he went to sit behind the desk.

"Do you not mind that I volunteered?" she asked. She felt sure he approved, but she'd wondered if he'd had someone else in mind when he'd made the challenge.

"From what I understand, if you didn't, we wouldn't be having an election at all," he said. "And you are a truly excellent candidate. A person of property and standing in the community, which is all that is required as far as I was able to determine."

"That's good to know," Victoria said. "This fight is going to be nasty enough as is."

"And that is something we need to talk about," he said.

"What particularly?"

"Dirty politics. We both know that De Soto is going to try to win by any means necessary. And as editor of the pueblo's only newspaper, I'm in a unique position, as I'm supposed to behave in an unbiased manner no matter what my feelings really are."

"What are you saying?" Victoria asked.

"Please don't take amiss any declarations of neutrality you hear from me over the next couple of days," he said. "I will be, as always, on _your_ side, but..."

"I understand," Victoria said. "The paper's important to you— and you think he might take your neutrality as an opening to try to influence you."

"Right on both counts," he said. "It's wonderful being engaged to such a clever woman. I think you'll make an excellent alcalde."

"What about remaining unbiased?" she asked.

"That _is_ my unbiased opinion," Diego said. "You've always been passionate about justice, about the people, never shy about speaking up, even with a tyrant. It's part of what I love about you, even as I worry about what might happen."

"I'm not quite as impulsive as I used to be," Victoria replied. "Not that you could tell this morning."

"That wasn't impulse; that was acting decisively and passionately when needed," Diego said. "And providing the people with a truly just and noble candidate in the face of... what we have at the moment." He sighed.

Victoria smiled. "You're not exactly coming off as unbiased, my dear editor, but I wish you could more actively help me. You have a great gift for words."

"Perhaps you could ask my father," Diego said. "I'm sure he'd love to be your campaign manager. He loves the battle and believes whole-heartedly in the same things you do, and he won't want to stand aside now that we have a possible way of ousting our current alcalde."

Victoria looked at him curiously. "And how do you intend to appear to remain aloof with your father aiding your fiancée in a political campaign?"

"As best I can, since there's no one else to do the job," he said, before taking out some paper and a pencil. "Now tell me, Señorita Escalante, what are your plans for the pueblo."

"Well, the first thing will be to get rid of the bounty on a man whose only crime is protecting the people," Victoria said, with determination. "Aside from the unfairness of that, we saw today that the pueblo can't afford such a high bounty. Six thousand pesos sitting in a safe when the cuartel can't afford to pay for its supplies, when we need an improved water supply, and a better school. All these taxes, and yet nothing is done to help the people."

"Excellent," Diego said. He glanced out the window to see his father riding to the front of the tavern. "And now might be a good time to go talk to my father."

"All right," Victoria said, rising from her chair.

Diego stood up and crossed to the other side of the desk and took her hand in his. "Good luck." He kissed her hand very politely to her mild displeasure but still smiled warmly at her.

"The whole pueblo needs it," Victoria replied, as she turned to leave.

Leaning against the side of the window, Diego watched her cross the plaza, greeting people as she made her way back to the tavern. She was magnificent, with a good mind and a better heart... and he really did need to cultivate a better air of neutrality to keep De Soto from using their relationship as a reason to discount anything the _Guardian_ said. He'd need to walk very carefully, and somehow get De Soto to overlook or discount that little detail. He almost wished that anyone else had volunteered for the election, but he was there, and if she hadn't spoken no one else would have. It would have been easier if his father had been the one, he thought ruefully. Enough people knew of the general disappointment his father had in him, even if his opinion had lately improved, that De Soto would have immediately thought of using that as a wedge. However, he couldn't really regret Victoria's stand. She was a fighter to her bones, and even as it often added to his anxiety, she wouldn't be the woman he loved if she'd stayed silent in the face of such an opportunity.

Sighing, he sat down at the desk. All this was going to require a special edition of the newspaper, and he might as well get started on the first story. Felipe entered the office shortly after he got started.

"You know, you're getting a little obvious about leaving us alone," Diego said.

Felipe shrugged and signed something that made Diego turn a little red.

"It isn't always like that," Diego said. "I was just interviewing her for the paper." Felipe looked skeptical. "Really, Felipe. After all, until the election is over, we need to keep our distance, and I have to be the perfect impartial gentleman... and don't give me that look either. Now is my father in the tavern?"

Felipe nodded.

"Good— I think. He's not going to be at all impartial. This is going to be a challenge, Felipe. De Soto isn't going to play fair, and now it's my fiancée and my father versus him. I don't know how I'm going to manage this." He looked at Felipe. "Yes, I think Zorro should have thought things through a little more thoroughly _before_ he challenged the alcalde to hold an open election. Like having a candidate ready who did not have close ties to the newspaper editor." He sighed a little as he took in what Felipe was trying to tell him. "No, I can't think of anyone either. Not enough people willing to challenge the alcalde on his own ground." He stared out the window. "Oh, they'll protest— to a point. They'll act— when he's not around to see. We've all become a little too dependent on a masked man to save the day." He went back to the desk. "It doesn't matter now. We've got some work to do."

~Z~Z~Z~

An hour later, Diego and Felipe made their way over to the tavern to see what was going on and found his father in the middle of a group of people making political signs in support of Victoria. The moment he saw his son, however, he crossed the room immediately.

"Diego, Victoria has asked me to organize her political campaign," Alejandro said.

"A wise choice. Congratulations," Diego replied sincerely.

"Thank you, though I'm a little surprised she didn't ask you," Alejandro said. "We are going to unseat the despot De Soto, Diego. I know I can count on you two for help."

Diego hated to disillusion his father, but he had no choice. "Well... Felipe's free to do as he chooses, but as editor of the only newspaper in the pueblo, it is my duty to be as fair as possible to both candidates, which..." he started to say before his father interrupted him.

"What _fair_ , Diego? We're talking about Ignacio De Soto. The word _fair_ doesn't exist in his vocabulary," Alejandro said angrily.

"Does it follow we should exclude it from ours?" Diego asked rhetorically. "And before you ask, Victoria and I already discussed this, since it's going to be more of a challenge to seem to be fair as I'm engaged to her."

His father looked like he was about to explode. "Diego, we have a chance for a free Los Angeles at last, and I just can't believe that... that... ." He spluttered to a stop, and Diego could practically see him reconsidering what Diego said. "No, no, no. Wait." He smiled as the idea hit him. "Wait. Good thinking, Diego. I can just see it now. After impartially weighing all of the issues in the election, the _Guardian_ firmly endorses la Señorita Victoria Escalante as alcalde." He slapped Diego on the arm. "Good thinking." He turned around to go talk to another group. Diego was relieved that his father didn't protest any more than he did, though he was afraid that it wasn't going to be as easy as that, at least not without careful work on his part.

Victoria caught his eye as he started back towards the door. He smiled brightly, as he exited to sit on the tavern's porch at a seat near a window so he could look inside as well as across towards the cuartel. For the rest of the day he planned to be as invisible as possible and simply observe the democratic process, such as it was, at work.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next afternoon, Diego made his way back to town. He'd gotten to see more than enough of the campaign beginnings the day before. De Soto had had his lancers busy making signs and riding around the country informing people of the election, while his father had gotten many of his fellow caballeros as well as his vaqueros to do the same. Victoria talked with everyone who came to the tavern. She had a truly winning manner when she took the trouble, and she was taking the trouble now.

Once siesta was over it seemed that most of the pueblo was congregating in the tavern to listen to Victoria speak about what she hoped to accomplish for the pueblo. This included De Soto who seemed to simply be hovering around in silent annoyance, rather than trying to make his own case. Diego kept an eye on De Soto, wondering what he was planning to do. It was out of character for him to simply stand by.

"A vote for me is a vote for an alcalde who will see that your taxes will be spent justly. For a better water supply... for schools... and not for pink lace curtains in my office!" Victoria said with a small laugh.

Diego noticed Mendoza looking a little taken aback by that last comment. Victoria obviously was still annoyed by Mendoza's dream, though she turned it into a joke instead. After all, anyone who knew Victoria knew she was not one to spend money on frivolities, unlike the men who'd been holding the office of alcalde.

"Victoria Escalante, the next alcalde!" Don Alejandro said, after Victoria had finished her speech.

There was much applause, and Diego stood taking notes, while still watching De Soto out of the corner of his eye. He realized that De Soto was also watching him, and when Felipe came up to him and pointed this out as well making a few signs, Diego said quietly, "You're right, Felipe. De Soto will use every means at his disposal to defeat Victoria." He glanced at De Soto again. "But..." Now was the time for to make things a bit obvious to De Soto. Raising his voice, he said, "I must remain neutral, Felipe. The Los Angeles _Guardian_ has a duty to the voters of this pueblo, no matter how strong my feelings for Victoria. It is critical that I be even handed."

Almost on cue De Soto took the bait, clapping at Diego's public declaration of neutrality.

"I applaud your integrity, Diego, if not your suit," he said, apparently unable to resist a barb even as he wanted something. "Please, stop by my office a little later. I would like to outline for you my five-year expansion plan for the pueblo."

Diego, glad to have the opportunity to see what De Soto would try, said, "Why not?"

"Excellent. Until eight then," De Soto said.

Nodding his head, Diego signaled to Felipe that it was time to leave. Once they were outside and out of earshot, Diego said, "We can do more good if De Soto thinks I'm particularly easy to manipulate. And if it looks like I'm playing his game, he might not try something worse."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego arrived at the alcalde's office promptly at eight, wondering what De Soto had in mind to convince him. It would be interesting to see if he were subtle with his attempt to influence him.

He wasn't.

Almost as soon as the pleasantries were over, De Soto went straight to business. "I understand that you find yourself in an awkward position as editor of the paper, wanting to do your best to be fair on such an important matter, and of course, it is a challenge when your own fiancée is one of the candidates."

"That is quite true," Diego said, still waiting. "But I intend to do my duty to the best of my ability."

"Of course, of course," De Soto said, in what Diego thought was _supposed_ to be a conciliatory manner. "And I'm sure it's not easy to have to worry about offending your fiancée, even for the good of the pueblo. I'd like to find a way to make the decision easier for you."

Diego didn't reply, but simply raised an eyebrow as De Soto brought out a bag of coins and dumped it out on the desk.

"Two thousand pesos. It's all yours," he said.

"Provided the Los Angeles _Guardian_ endorses Ignacio De Soto for the office of alcalde," Diego said.

De Soto seemed pleased by Diego's understanding. "I knew we spoke the same language. After all, we're both men of the world, sí, Don Diego? Democracy— it's just a plaything we give to the people when we need them. We both know the real power lies... with men like us. The movers and the shakers of this world." He looked up at Diego. "And it really _is_ a man's world. Women don't have a head for politics, and I'm sure you can agree that it would be best if Señorita Escalante paid more attention to you and your upcoming marriage than getting tangled up in local politics."

"I've always admired her independence, alcalde," Diego said. He was willing to go a certain distance but not too far. Besides, it would be interesting to see what De Soto would do if Diego resisted a bit.

"True, she is independent. But can you really tell me you're pleased with the thought of your future wife spending all her time trying to run the pueblo when she should be learning to run your household instead?"

"I hardly think a woman who runs a tavern needs any training to run a hacienda; if anything it will probably be rather dull for her," Diego said mildly. It was hard to keep on the oblivious side, especially in light of De Soto's blatant offer of money which he hadn't yet responded to.

He could see De Soto's frustration with him and knew he'd pushed it about as far as he could, so he waited to see what the man would say next before getting back on track. De Soto made an effort to control his contempt and find some common ground. "Don Diego... as independent as Señorita Escalante is, she could hardly respect a man who simply leaps to her command. You need to assert your own independence. Show her you're a man to be reckoned with..." De Soto looked down at the money on the table. "And with two thousand pesos you could get her something with a bit more flare than that necklace she's now wearing."

Diego had to work to keep his composure at that last statement. He could certainly afford on his own behalf to buy Victoria far more expensive jewelry, but that necklace had a certain sentimental value and the fact that it was not expensive is what made it appropriate for her to wear openly without worrying it would attract thieves or be damaged during daily wear. But it wouldn't do for him to seem offended right now. He decided instead to ask about the money De Soto was offering. "I understand the pueblo funds were at an all-time low. How did you come by this?"

De Soto's face took on an expression of wicked glee. "I took it from Zorro's reward money. He gave me the idea himself. Isn't that fantastic?" He laughed at his self-perceived cleverness.

Again Diego had to struggle to keep a straight face though this time it was because he was trying not to laugh rather than to hide offense. "It does have a certain irony," he said.

"Well, what do you say?" De Soto asked eagerly.

Diego took a moment to appear thoughtful, but if he appeared to accept this bribe at face value, De Soto would be far more inclined to refrain from casting doubts on the _Guardian_ until it was too late for it to do him any good. "Two thousand pesos is a lot of money," he said. He took a deep breath before finishing. "The Los Angeles _Guardian_ endorses Ignacio De Soto for the office of alcalde with pleasure."

"Excellent," De Soto said.

He took the bag and held it open as De Soto started dropping the coins back into it. He could only hope that this little bit of trickery on his part would not backfire on him come election day.

~Z~Z~Z~

After his meeting with De Soto, Diego went into the _Guardian_ office and worked on his story for about fifteen minutes before slipping out and around to the back of the tavern. He'd told Victoria that he'd be there at nine, and he didn't have to wait long before she came out and met him.

"Well?" she asked.

Diego smiled. "Well, I've just been offered two thousand pesos to endorse Ignacio De Soto for alcalde, and I thought I'd come and see what his competition had to offer," he joked.

Victoria raised a brow but played along. "I could offer you albondigas soup," she suggested lightly.

He shook his head.

"Flan?"

He _did_ love her flan even more than her soup. However..."Tempting, but not quite," he said.

A slightly mischievous smile appearing on her face, Victoria made a show of thinking before saying, "Then perhaps... a kiss?"

"That sounds about right," he said, leaning towards her for a brief but sweet kiss. "Now that is certainly much better than two thousand pesos."

"You're easily satisfied," Victoria said.

"Not in the least, querida," he said. "But that's a discussion for another time."

Victoria smiled at him as she leaned against the wall. "He really tried bribing you?"

"He wasn't even subtle," Diego replied, showing her the bag. "Two thousand pesos and a lecture on how to keep my future wife in her place."

"You accepted?" she asked incredulously.

"The bribe, not the lecture. It seemed only fair as he was so determined," Diego said. "Although I'm afraid that Zorro might take exception to this and rob me on the way home. I don't think I'd dare put up a struggle."

"I certainly wouldn't," Victoria teased. "And it serves you right for accepting bribes. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself."

"I know, and I am," he said, knowing he didn't sound at all ashamed. "But still I intend to do my best for Ignacio, even if it's not exactly in the spirit he intended."

"What are you planning?" Victoria asked suspiciously.

"Oh, to do exactly what he asked, but not in the way he meant."

"Is this going to get you into trouble?"

"Not too much if he thinks I'm being obtuse or helpful in the worst way," he said. "But don't worry. I intend to be absolutely fair and give my whole-hearted support to the best candidate." He took her hand and kissed it.

"Diego..."

"Allow me a little mystery for myself, Victoria. I'd like you to be genuinely surprised tomorrow."

Victoria reluctantly acquiesced. "All right, but don't do anything dangerous. That's Zorro's job, not my peace-loving fiancé's."

"Trust me."

"I do," she assured him. "That doesn't mean I don't worry."

~Z~Z~Z~

As soon as he got home, Diego planned to ride as Zorro back to pueblo to drop the bribe money in the church's poor box, not wanting to take the chance of De Soto seeing him doing it as himself. Unfortunately for his plan, no sooner than he walked through the door than he heard his father calling him. He only had enough time to hide the money behind the sofa before his father walked into the library.

"Ah, Diego, tell me you didn't spend all this time with De Soto," his father said as he came into sight.

"Certainly not," Diego said sitting down on the sofa. "I did have to write up some things. After all the special edition of the paper is coming out tomorrow, and we'll have to start the typesetting early."

His father sat down in a chair and looked at him impatiently. "Well? What did De Soto have to say?"

Diego wasn't about to tell his father the whole story. "Not too much. Simply laid out his case for why he believed the _Guardian_ should support him."

"And what did you tell him?"

Diego shrugged slightly. "I had to be diplomatic, Father. There's no point in antagonizing the man before the paper comes out. It's difficult enough to appear neutral when his opponent is my fiancée and you're managing her campaign."

Alejandro nodded. "Yes, you have a point. I hadn't thought of it, but we're lucky he isn't trying to make capital out of that. Perhaps I shouldn't have volunteered for the job, but the thought of finally getting that man out..." he trailed off.

"Father, no one would believe your staying out of the thick of the election; in fact, that would probably do more harm than good. If people thought you weren't willing to take a clear stand against the man, they wouldn't either. Your support is far more important than anything the paper can do one way or the other."

"Now, son, that's not true. You've done a good job with the _Guardian_. People trust you, and they trust it, and they're looking to see what you say tomorrow. You were right to insist on trying to be fair on both sides, even if it's almost impossible to do in a case like this. And I'll know you'll do the right thing tomorrow." He stood up. "I'd better get some sleep as well. We've still got another full day before the election. Good night, Diego."

"Good night, Father," said Diego, rising and going to one of the bookshelves as if he were planning on getting something to read before bed.

He waited until his father had been gone for a few minutes before retrieving the bag and slipping down into the cave. He was feeling a strange mixture of pride and embarrassment at his father's words. The newspaper had always been important to him, and while his father had always supported him in it, it still was good to hear such high praise from a man who tended to value action over words. As he rode towards the pueblo, he wondered if it were time to let his father know about Zorro.

Despite his concerns and still the fear that something would go wrong, Diego had never really had any reason to regret that Victoria knew his secret. She'd adapted better than he'd expected, helping him in ways he'd never even considered. However, there still remained a danger in telling his father that hadn't applied to Victoria. Yes, they were both quick tempered and impulsive as she'd pointed out the few times she'd argued with him over the question of telling his father, and yes, he also knew that his father would never willingly betray his secret. However...

There was the fact that his father was an old soldier, who sometimes forgot that he didn't have the skill of his youth. He knew Alejandro recognized Zorro's skill and could stand aside for him, but if Alejandro knew that his only son was Zorro, would he be willing or able to let him fight as he always had? Or conversely, would he encourage his recklessness? He'd like to think not, not with his marriage so close. But while he could depend on his father's desire to protect his family, he couldn't rely on his father's temper, which Diego had seen get him into trouble many times over the years, one reason he'd worked so hard to try to master his own.

By this time he was close enough to the pueblo to slip off Toronado's back and make his way stealthily to the church. A minute later and Diego's ill-gotten gains were safely away in the poor box, and Zorro was making his way home. On his way back, he did think about the fact that if Victoria won and De Soto actually conceded, then revealing the secret to his father wouldn't be so fraught with danger, but he'd already learned to his sorrow not to count on things working out on their own when it came to justice in Los Angeles.

On the other hand, it had been Victoria who had convinced him that it was better not to put his life on hold indefinitely waiting for a perfect moment. He did want his father to know the truth someday. Perhaps the election would make it easy for him; if not, he'd still need a time of relative peace in order to be sure his father had time to absorb the knowledge and figure out how to deal with it on his own. Maybe on a trip away from Los Angeles. That would probably be the best idea no matter what the results of the election were. For now, the best thing he could do was get home and get some sleep before heading into town to finish getting the paper ready for print.

~Z~Z~Z~

Early the next day, Diego and Felipe along with Jorge and Domingo Garcia, the _Guardian_ 's regular typesetters, began getting the special edition of the newspaper ready for the afternoon. They kept the office locked up to keep curious eyes away as they worked. Diego had no intention of letting anyone outside of the four of them have any idea what the _Guardian_ would say until it was printed and ready to be distributed. Since De Soto had Mendoza practically chained to the door, Diego took some mercy on him and opened the door just long enough to tell him when the paper would be ready and then stepped back inside, locking it again.

Finally, everything was finished and the paper ready to be distributed. Diego was just going to unlock the door when he heard a shot outside. Cautiously he opened the door a crack while Felipe went to the window. They quickly relaxed when they realized that it was De Soto's ham-fisted way of getting attention. Since it wasn't quite the time he'd told Mendoza the paper would be ready, Diego held back wanting to hear what De Soto was going to say.

Standing on the platform that had been erected in the center of the plaza, De Soto spoke loudly to the crowd. "My friends, in a few short minutes the latest edition of the Los Angeles _Guardian_ will announce its endorsement for _one_ of the candidates. I suggest very strongly that you heed its wise and informed opinion." Diego couldn't hide the smile that came when he heard De Soto praise the paper. It would be difficult to backtrack without looking more of a fool than he normally did. De Soto continued in his pompous way. "My friends, you have before you a very simple choice. On one hand, Ignacio De Soto..." He paused dramatically, though it was undercut by the lone sound of Mendoza clapping. "A man trained for this position. A man who will labor day and night for your welfare. And on the other hand, you have Señorita Escalante..."

This time the pause was interrupted by his father exclaiming her name and clapping, along with a number of other people.

De Soto had to raise his voice in order to cut through the applause and finish his statement. "A thief." He paused as the crowd went quiet. "Yes. A woman convicted of robbery." Appearing triumphant, he continued more forcefully, "It's true. In that very mission, she stole from your poor little schoolchildren. Do you deny that, Señorita?"

Victoria, now over the shock of the charge, immediately spoke up. "Oh, for heaven's sake! I was five-years old!" She looked around at the crowd. "All right, I took a pencil from José Perón. But everyone knows it. I've told the story a million times."

Diego wondered at De Soto's tactics, if this was the worst charge he could manage to bring against Victoria. Luis Ramone had shown a great deal more creativity in dealing with his opponents.

De Soto continued speaking, "My friends, I want you to ask yourselves a question. Is this the kind of person you want to govern you? She stole pencils then. What will she steal now?"

Knowing that this just wasn't going to get any better and was reaching ridiculous levels, Diego decided now was the time for the _Guardian_ to make its appearance. He stood back from the door and gestured for Felipe to go ahead with the first stack of papers, as he grabbed a handkerchief to try to get the ink off his hands. As Felipe handed out the papers, Diego made his way across the plaza wanting to put some distance between himself and both the candidates.

De Soto without even seeing what the paper said spoke. "Read and judge for yourselves, my fellow Angelenos. I will be happy to continue to serve as your alcalde." He finally received his copy and without bothering to check the contents started reading aloud. "The Los Angeles _Guardian_ proudly and happily endorses Ignacio De Soto... for alcalde of..." He paused as he finally saw what Diego had written. "San Diego?"

Diego worked at looking innocent as the crowd laughed.

De Soto angrily called his name. "De la Vega!"

"Well, it's a wonderful town," Diego said, before seeming to understand what was making De Soto angry. "You mean you wanted to be endorsed as alcalde of Los Angeles?"

"Yes!"

It was very hard to appear properly apologetic when he was trying not to laugh. "I'm so sorry, Ignacio. You should have been more specific."

Crumpling his paper, De Soto crossed the plaza to whisper to Diego. "I want my money back. Now."

"Well, I'd love to oblige you, Señor," Diego said. "But unfortunately last night on my way home, I was robbed— by Zorro. He said something about wanting to make a donation to the mission poor box. Maybe he wanted to make amends for that pencil Victoria stole." He paused for a moment to try to ease up on the sarcasm. "Besides, you should read the rest of what I wrote. I did try to do my best for you, Ignacio. Los Angeles is really too small a town for a man of your scope and ambition. Anyway, good luck. I'll be voting early tomorrow." He couldn't quite keep the smile off his face as he left to cross the plaza.

Victoria was reading to Alejandro when Diego reached them. "It say here that the _Guardian_ thinks Victoria Escalante is a welcome change to local politics."

His father looked up at him. "Oh, well done, Diego. Although I have to admit you had me worried there for a moment."

"Me?"

"Yes, you," Alejandro replied before stepping away.

"You certainly surprised me," Victoria said.

"I hope you don't mind," he said softly.

She shook her head with a slight smile. "No, it was worth it to see the look on his face."

Diego looked around. "Well, I certainly don't want to keep you from solidifying your support, and I have a few things that still need tending in the office." He kissed her hand lightly before turning to disappear back inside.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next morning, voting began in the pueblo. Alejandro had ridden in just after sunrise to help oversee the voting and make sure De Soto didn't try to intimidate the voters. Victoria was feeling very nervous. Today might be the day for them to rid themselves of an unjust alcalde, and then perhaps the people could start to stand up for themselves.

Not wanting to add to the numbers at the polling place after she'd cast her own vote, Victoria remained on the tavern porch watching the proceedings. Diego rode into town shortly after voting began, and after casting his vote, joined Victoria. They stood over to one side and watched.

Quietly, even though no one stood near, Diego said, "De Soto's too calm. I'm afraid he's got something up his sleeve."

"Like what?" Victoria asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think whatever it is will become apparent after the votes are counted. It might be a good idea if the man who started this made sure it was an honest election."

"I see." Victoria understood exactly what he wasn't saying. They'd have to have a good excuse for Diego to be out of sight for some time. That was the one thing that had become more difficult now that they were engaged. It was harder to come up with excuses for Diego's absence during major events, and today of all days people would expect him to be there at the end. Even though one of the qualities that made her love him was he didn't mind looking weak or foolish if it helped protect those he loved, she hated when it impacted his father's opinion of him, and today was not a good day for him to just get forgetful or distracted. Well, he hadn't been sick for a while; that would be better. Casually, she said, "You've done quite a lot for the election yourself. And with all that extra printing and ink and eye strain and lack of sleep, I wouldn't be surprised if you came down with a sick headache and needed to rest in a quiet room at the tavern. As your fiancée, I think I'd insist on it and also make sure no one disturbed you." She knew that Alejandro wouldn't object if _she_ insisted.

Diego smiled slightly. "I think you're right. I do feel a little under the weather now. But I don't think it will get too bad until about an hour before the end of the voting."

"We wouldn't want you to miss too much."

"Or anyone else to miss me," he said.

"That too." She looked over at the people who were voting. "I'm so nervous. I want so much for the people to win today. But what if we don't?" She watched as De Soto stood in the door of the alcalde's office before disappearing back inside. Would he actually concede if... when... he lost? She had her doubts. She knew that Zorro would fight for a fair election, and if... when... De Soto lost, he'd fight for the results to be accepted.

"We go on and fight again another day. As we always do," Diego said. "But let's hope for the best today."

Victoria smiled at him. "Yes, let's. Even if the worst happens, we've at least tweaked the tyrant's tail."

"Exactly," Diego said. "And at best, we finally have someone who genuinely cares about the pueblo, with also the determination to see the job through to the best of her considerable ability."

"Then I guess I don't have to wonder which way you voted," Victoria said with a laugh, warmed by his confidence in her.

"No indeed," Diego said. "Do you want to go inside to await the results?"

"It would probably be a good idea. I'm too nervous to stay out here." She took hold of his arm as they walked back inside the tavern. "And," she added with a wry smile, "you should be working on feeling worse."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria stood impatiently waiting for the results of the election to be counted. So far everything had been going very smoothly, including the plan to get Diego out of sight and out of mind before the polls closed. He'd very convincingly managed to look not well, and she'd insisted on making him tea and then having him lie down upstairs in the room most suited to quiet and an easy exit from the tavern, before locking the door with her master key to keep anyone from disturbing him. She knew that Zorro was out there waiting to deal with any fraudulent or violent behavior on the part of De Soto.

Finally, Mendoza was ready to announce the results. Victoria braced herself.

"Five ninety-nine... Señorita Escalante," he said, to the cheers of the crowd.

Victoria took a deep breath as he spoke again..

"Five ninety-nine... Alcalde De Soto," he said to the distress of the crowd.

Alejandro, in palpable disbelief, said, "That's a tie. After all our hard work, Victoria."

Victoria was stunned as well. How could that even be possible? "Well, I don't believe it. If just one more citizen would have voted..."

Mendoza looking suddenly guilty, exclaimed, "Oh, Señorita Escalante! I completely forgot to vote. It will never happen again. I promise."

The moment Mendoza spoke, De Soto immediately jumped in, saying, "I declare this polling place officially reopened for thirty seconds while my idiotic and absent-minded..." he stopped mid-sentence realizing that this was not exactly the way to win the wayward vote. "... my... my ever-faithful and astute sergeant records his civic duty." He held up a quill and some paper for him. "Sergeant, it's up to you."

Nervously now that he was the center of attention and the one relied on to make the final decision, Mendoza pleaded with the two candidates. "Please, _mi alcalde_ , Señorita Escalante, don't make me do this. No matter which way I vote, half of the town is going to hate me."

All eyes were on the sergeant, so it was a full surprise when the voice of Zorro broke in.

"Not so, Sergeant," he said. Everyone turned to look. Zorro was on Toronado's back holding a lit torch and very near the cuartel's open gates. As the lancers aimed their muskets at him, Zorro continued quite calmly, "I would advise caution, amigos. There's a fuse that runs right into the armory." He waited a moment for the reaction to sink in. "Now it's a shame I can't come into this pueblo for a pleasant chat without having to resort to such dramatic schemes."

De Soto, not forgetting what Zorro had just interrupted, said, "The sergeant was about to elect me alcalde."

"That's not true!" Victoria broke in. "He was just about to elect me."

Zorro looked at them both and announced, "Actually he was going to elect no one. I understand there were five hundred and ninety-nine votes for each candidate. That makes nearly twelve hundred votes cast by the citizens of Los Angeles. But at the last census, there were only seven hundred people in the entire pueblo." Again he waited for the reaction to settle before he continued, "Yes, my friends, someone has been tampering with the ballot box. I suggest you vote again, in the morning."

That was when De Soto spoke again. "That won't be necessary. I've been waiting for the appropriate moment." He held up a book that had been sitting on the table in front of him. Victoria had wondered what its purpose was. "You see, I've discovered a law— written by King Ferdinand II in 1484." He laughed. "A wonderful law... a sublime law..." He flipped open the book and glanced at the page. "... which forbids females from holding public office." He dropped the book with a dramatic thud.

Victoria couldn't quite believe it. Hadn't they already dealt with this? "Oh, that's absurd! That was over three hundred years ago."

De Soto chuckled wickedly. "Well, that may be, but it is still the law. So if you want to be alcalde, go right ahead, take office. You'll be immediately arrested, and I win."

Zorro cut into De Soto's last laugh with one of his own. "Ah! You win... and you lose!" He tossed the torch to the end of the fuse running into the cuartel.

As Zorro and Toronado kept the lancers from the fuse, Victoria wondered what he really was doing. She knew that he couldn't be serious about blowing up the armory. But he was certainty lessening De Soto's cheating triumph, since as usual neither he nor his lancers were successful in either stopping Zorro or getting to the fuse. Alejandro, not as confident as she was, pulled her towards the tavern, as Zorro disappeared from the pueblo, and Victoria had no doubt that faster than even she suspected Diego would be back upstairs in the tavern. Another minute and it was clear that Zorro had played a trick on De Soto as the fuse never reached the barrel of gunpowder which had a sign which said "BOOM" sitting in front of it.

After that De Soto stalked off angrily to his office. Victoria couldn't help but smile. He may have won, but he certainly had no reason to gloat over it. He'd clearly cheated in the ballots and had to resort to an old law to assure victory. It was frustrating. This was a new world with new opportunities. It seemed ridiculous that they were still bound by foolish decrees and outdated notions. She knew she'd have made a better alcalde than De Soto, but then Mendoza even when he was screwing everything up made a better alcalde.

~Z~Z~Z~

She had been right about Diego. He'd been walking down the stairs by the time she and Alejandro had reentered the tavern. Victoria had closed the tavern early, not in the mood to even receive general condolences, though Mendoza did make his way inside to make sure they didn't hold his waffling against them. She didn't. Despite asking him the question, she knew that if he had been able to vote privately, he would have voted with them. The man was often torn between his conscience and his duty. She wouldn't let him off the hook on something critical, but his vote wouldn't have really decided anything in the end.

Alejandro invited her to have dinner and spend the night at the hacienda, an offer she was eager to accept. Even if De Soto had no reason to gloat, she wouldn't put it past him to try, and she wasn't in the mood. Tomorrow would be soon enough to deal with him. Tonight was better spent with family.

"What I'd like to know is just how many votes that rascal De Soto faked," Alejandro said while they were at the dinner table.

"That's simple enough," Diego said. "Since there were about five hundred more votes than people and Ignacio De Soto is not that complicated a man, I believe that simply subtracting those five hundred votes from his tally would give us a correct count of five hundred and ninety-nine for Victoria and ninety-nine for him."

"Now that I can better believe," Alejandro said. "Though the fact that he actually got ninety-nine votes..."

"Well, we've never had an election before," Diego said. "Some people may have been afraid of reprisals."

"Or would rather be led by a wicked man than any woman," Victoria added, with a touch of frustration.

Here in the new world, women had been given land grants, owned property, had protection under the law, yet still there were still so many restrictions on what a woman could do. She'd had to fight to be taken seriously when she'd started running the tavern. She'd owed a lot to Abuelita who was a formidable force and to Alejandro who had done his best to see that she was treated respectfully and had a certain amount of protection as she learned to protect herself. But men still were in control of things, though she had hopes for the future. She did take comfort in the fact that Diego didn't share any of those notions about female inferiority or the inferiority of anyone based on birth or race for that matter. It was another reason she couldn't help but love him.

"I suppose," Diego said mildly. "But clearly not that many. You would have won by a decisive majority."

"Very true," Alejandro said, raising his glass to her. "And I hope De Soto chokes on the thought."

"He'll never let on," Victoria said, "but I'm sure he will."

~Z~Z~Z~

After dinner, Alejandro left them together after making some vague excuse. The moment they were alone, Diego wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, a kiss she returned with some enthusiasm.

"Now that is very consoling," Victoria said with a soft sigh.

Diego kissed his way to her ear. "It's my pleasure," he whispered. "Though since my father won't leave us alone for too long, I think we should pick another form of entertainment. Your choice, my love."

Victoria leaned against him, taking comfort in his embrace. "It's hard to think," she said. "But it's been a while since we've read any Shakespeare. Could you pick a play for us?"

"I think I may know just the one," he replied, making no move to let go of her. "An overly ambitious man gets put in charge and starts enforcing antiquated laws..."

"Sounds... appropriate," Victoria said, still holding on to him, feeling strangely content and happy despite the disappointments of the day.

Victoria closed her eyes so she could really take in the feeling of Diego holding her, of the joy of being surrounded by people who cared about her. She almost pitied De Soto that he had no comfort like this. Almost— she wasn't as noble as Diego. De Soto may have won a skirmish, but it was based on deceit and technicalities. Sooner or later, he would leave or get his comeuppance or both.

The events of the day were already beginning to seem like a distant memory. She had wanted to win, she really did. Still, being here with the man she loved reminded her that she hadn't lost what mattered most.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the plot of "Dirty Tricks" was unbelievable. The status quo restoring ending was so obvious that I'd assumed that there was some weird twist of law that allowed Victoria to run for office, but no. Anyway, I was going to skip this, but I found the idea of writing one particular scene irresistible enough to overlook how anachronistic the episode was, and then irony of ironies, the scene that made me want to write this story was the hardest to write. 
> 
> Also, I've changed a few scenes around a bit, mainly to try to give the timeline a better flow for me, and I'm dropping a couple of background items that seem even more unbelievable to me, as well as adding stuff to try to make the plot slightly more believable to me, despite the fact that it's probably as anachronistic as the plot itself. Weird, how I feel guilty about changing the small things when I've already made one enormous change to the entire series and even more changes to other episodes.
> 
> Historically speaking Los Angeles was one of three pueblos that had been given permission to elect their own alcaldes and town councils, a fact I stumbled across during my research and decided to actually use though not in any more a historically accurate fashion than the show did. Going on vague recollection, I seem to recall that there were places where all that was required was property ownership for someone to run for office which means that a woman would be eligible (and I do know there were several territories where women had the right to vote before they became states). But frankly, this episode is as anachronistic as anything the show ever did, so I'm not overly concerned with my own anachronisms, sad to say.
> 
> Also the Shakespearean play Diego is referring to in the end is "Measure for Measure."
> 
> Next Up: "Silk Purses and Sows Ears."


	15. An Officer and a Gentleman (After Silk Purses and Sows Ears) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes fathers and sons have disagreements for good reasons, and sometimes it's good to have friends with connections.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is set after "Silk Purses and Sow's Ears" written by Robert L. McCullough.

Diego walked out of De Soto's office shaking his head. It had been surprisingly easy to get De Soto to drop the idea of making him a lancer, though that probably had a lot to do with the fact that De Soto had won the bet and would prefer to gloat over that than have to put up with Diego's complete unsuitability (which he had been more than willing to demonstrate for as long as it took). His father walked toward him with a questioning glance and Diego simply raised and dropped his arms.

"Well, come on, Diego. How did it go?" Alejandro asked as they started walking towards the tavern.

"Well, it seems the Alcalde has no use whatsoever for the thinking soldier. He accused me of disloyalty and threw me out," Diego said, happy that his act had worked.

His father laughed. "That means you are off the hook, huh?"

"Yes," Diego replied, though he wasn't going to let his father forget that it was his doing. "A hook you put me on with that impulsive wager of yours."

"Well, I'm sorry about that, Diego," Alejandro said, though he didn't sound particularly sorry as he continued, "but you know sometimes impulsiveness is good for the soul. You should try it sometime."

Diego had to bite his tongue not to reply that impulsiveness could also have some unfortunate consequences, but instead said, "I proposed to Victoria on impulse."

"After weeks of debating on the subject and some encouragement from me," Alejandro retorted, then slapped Diego on the shoulder. "But I suppose it counts in a way."

Following his father inside, Diego was surprised to find himself becoming more rather than less angry. Seeing him joke with Mendoza who was still suffering from his disappointment at not becoming an officer— a disappointment that Diego felt his father had directly contributed by making that foolish bet. While it had been clear from the way De Soto had told Mendoza to lie on the form that the alcalde had not wanted Mendoza to succeed, Diego knew that it was the bet with his father that had certainly inspired him with greater determination to see that Mendoza failed.

Alejandro didn't seem to realize this, and Diego also recognized that he was even more angry because his father's bet meant that De Soto was still going to be collecting that sales tax, and that he— Zorro— was still going to have to fight it. So thanks to his father, Zorro had more rather than less work to look forward to. De Soto was most definitely the gloating type, and Alejandro's bet had somehow made the tax seem negotiable rather than illegal. It didn't help that Captain Dominguez seemed impressed by De Soto's actions. Diego felt that if it had been only one thing or the other it would have been easier to get rid of the tax, but with both, he needed a different plan.

Victoria had disappeared into the kitchen, and Diego took the opportunity to follow her. He didn't want to lose his temper with his father, but right now his father's light-hearted attitude was grating on his nerves.

"Diego, what's the matter?" Victoria asked.

"Just a bad mood, I'm afraid," Diego said. "And I don't particularly want to inflict it on anybody else. You and Felipe have to put up with enough as it is."

Victoria wrapped her arms around him. "You know I don't mind. You put up with my temper."

Diego kissed her forehead. "Yes, but you've already put up with enough. Besides, I need a little time to think. We've still got a tax to get rid of, and thanks to..." he bit off his words. "I think a long ride and some solitude will help chase this temper of mine away or at least bring it back to manageable levels. If my father asks where I've gone, tell him there's an experiment I've been neglecting that I wanted to get back to. I'll come up with something more thorough later."

"Don't do anything reckless," Victoria said.

"I think my father's been reckless enough for both of us the past week," Diego snapped out before he could stop himself. "Sorry, querida." He leaned down to kiss her. "I just need a little time alone. I'll come back this evening. It's definitely not you that I'm wanting to avoid."

"Ah, now I understand," Victoria said. "After all it was your future he was betting with, and I think I should have a little to say about that as well as you." She tightened her embrace for a moment before letting go. "All right. Go and clear your head, but I do expect you to come for dinner here tonight."

Diego was well aware of how furious she'd been when she heard about the bet, and it was only her own respect for his father that kept her from making a scene about it. She'd channeled her energy into helping him with his lessons for Mendoza, but he was aware she too had been close to snapping once the bet was lost. Another reason he wanted to be alone; he didn't want to exacerbate her temper with his own.

"You are truly an angel," he said lightly.

"With a streak of the devil," she teased, pulling him forward for a lingering kiss before sending him out the back door.

Not wanting to get his father's attention, Diego slipped quietly around to Esperanza and in moments was riding out of town.

~Z~Z~Z~

Some time later, Diego was sitting on a rock, sketchbook in hand. He'd decided that it would be better to have something to occupy him rather than simply sit and let his temper simmer. He found what he thought was an interesting rock formation to sketch but as he drew found himself working in a series of other pictures into the rocks as he thought through the irritation that was eating into him. Impulsiveness was certainly a family trait, but unlike his father, Diego didn't particularly find impulsiveness good for the soul.

Too often he'd been saved from the worst consequences of an impulsive decision by sheer luck or the aid of others. A quickly regretted kiss on a balcony that might have led to his involvement in a nasty scandal. That fortunately failed elopement with Zafira. Accepting a scented handkerchief from a treacherous lady. Believing a woman who claimed to be Felipe's mother without checking into it. And his own incredibly stupid idea of pushing a man into a boxing match which backfired spectacularly and required Zorro to undo the consequences.

Even his donning the mask to begin with was a bit of impulsiveness that he later had cause to regret. While he had done a lot of good for the people, he'd never meant to be wearing two disguises for years. If Victoria hadn't figured out the secret on her own, he knew they'd still be apart; he'd been too concerned about protecting her and his father to be willing to tell her on his own. And now that she knew, the only one who's not knowing genuinely hurt him was his father, but again his fears kept him silent. He had thought after his father's handling of the election that it might be time to tell him, but now, he knew that would be a terrible mistake.

Perhaps that was why he was feeling so angry. His father had disappointed him, more than once, in fact. First it had been his attitude towards Mendoza's desire to be an officer. While Diego was inclined to agree that Mendoza would not be anyone's first choice for an officer, he wasn't as hopeless or unqualified as his father had implied either. He had been a little shocked by his father's insistence that being a gentleman was in the blood. This was the man who had taught him not to judge people based on their birth but by their actions, the same man who'd seemed thrilled at the thought of Victoria becoming his daughter-in-law.

Mendoza was a good man. He may have made more than a few mistakes during that period when they were without an alcalde, but Diego didn't think that meant that he was incapable of learning. And then after expressing doubts when Diego had offered to teach Mendoza the manners of a caballero, he went and made a bet saying that Diego would help Mendoza win his commission. Even Diego wouldn't have guaranteed it in the short time frame they had for preparation, and his father, who hadn't believed it at all, bet as if it were a sure thing. Diego would have found that sudden faith touching if he hadn't seen it was more de la Vega pride and anger talking, and if he hadn't been made part of the bet.

That's another part he couldn't get over. His father arbitrarily putting his son's future on the line to satisfy his own pride. Diego couldn't believe that he hadn't realized that there were so many ways for De Soto to make sure he won despite the best efforts on his own and Mendoza's part. After all, his father had been an officer. Surely he realized how easy it would be for De Soto to sabotage Mendoza's chances. But, no, his father thought only of winning and goading the man. Or more precisely, he didn't think at all. Not about Mendoza's disappointment. Not about the people affected by the tax. Not about his son or Victoria. Not once through the whole business. And if this was how he behaved when he didn't know his son was Zorro, what madness might he be encouraged in if he did know?

Damn. This wasn't getting any better. Diego's sketch now included a gallows, the rope of which stretched around the edges of the rocks, and he wasn't feeling any calmer. How was it that he could smile in the face of two evil men and their insults yet end up hiding out here because he wasn't sure he could hide his anger from his father? For once, he wished things were the other way round. Though he hated disappointing his father, it was better than being angry with him. And he was still very angry. Perhaps it was a mistake to think so much about it. Diego should be thinking about how to make sure the sales tax got rescinded.

He did have an option that he wasn't entirely comfortable exploiting, though he wasn't sure why. Ernesto Moraga, one of his friends from the University, had recently written him that he got a position as an investigator for the governor's office of municipal finance oversight. A position Diego suspected had been given to him to get him out of Monterey as much as possible, since he was very much a stickler for the law and very persistent in pointing out the foolishness of wresting illegal taxes when the legal ones properly applied would generate sufficient revenue. As his uncle was a former governor who still wielded a great deal of influence, he couldn't be simply dismissed, and he refused to stay confined among the papers. But the governor certainly didn't mind shake ups in the smaller pueblos where there had been fiscal difficulties, particularly if they drew attention away from any of his pet fiscal indiscretions.

They had been corresponding since their returns from Spain, Ernesto having returned six months after Diego. Diego had heard about Ernesto's struggles in government service, and Diego had mostly confined himself to what experiments he'd been working on as well as his art, though he had finally mentioned Victoria once they were publicly courting. In one of his first letters, written not that long after he'd donned the mask, he'd also implied in a way that only Ernesto would understand that he was trying to live peacefully and thus letting no one know exactly what he'd learned from Sir Edmund while in Spain. Something he knew Ernesto would understand, as his approach to self-defense was to try to avoid it and if he couldn't avoid it, have his opponents underestimate him. While he'd never been close to Diego in skill, Ernesto could defend himself adequately using cunning over brute strength.

So why did the thought of getting his old friend to come to Los Angeles to investigate the alcalde's delinquencies bother him? It wasn't Zorro that concerned him. Ernesto had made it clear enough that he admired what the bandit was doing and said that the last thing he'd want or accept was the job of hunting the man down. And it wasn't that he'd reveal too much about his college days around town. While he wasn't shy about quoting laws and regulations to the point of boring the listener into unconsciousness, Ernesto tended to be far more cautious about other kinds of information. And then the answer hit him with a wave of shame that buried all the anger he'd been feeling. It was his father. He didn't really want to risk Ernesto revealing too much to his father.

He'd been hiding a significant portion of his life since he'd come home. What he'd learned, what he'd done at the university beyond the arts and sciences that his father already knew that he loved and which was safe for him to know. But there had been so many other things he'd done that he'd kept to himself, things that might give his father too strong a hint about Zorro. Things that Ernesto might reveal in all innocence. So much he hadn't told him. And now, he wasn't sure when he could.

However, he couldn't let his fear of his father learning too much stop him from taking advantage of an opportunity. From Ernesto's last letter, Diego knew that Ernesto's work was taking him south as he planned to be in San Diego for the Christmas season. By this time he should be in Buenaventura and easy to reach to invite to spend a couple of days investigating Los Angeles's tax situation. If he sent a fast and reliable messenger, there would be a good chance for Ernesto to arrive within a week, and perhaps Zorro wouldn't have to do too much interference.

Feeling slightly relieved now that he had a plan however vague it was, Diego decided to put away his sketching and go back to the newspaper office to write the letter inviting his friend. Besides, it was getting later, and Victoria was expecting him to go to the tavern for dinner.

~Z~Z~Z~

The ride back to the pueblo was uneventful, and he was relieved to see his father's horse was already gone. Despite the fact that his anger had been tempered by his feelings of guilt, he still wasn't in the right frame of mind to face his father. Perhaps once his message was on its way he'd be better able to deal with this. After all, was it fair to hold a grudge when he too had made more than his share of impulsive mistakes? When he'd spent years lying to his own father? He tried to ignore the little voice that told him that he'd learned from _his_ mistakes, and that he'd just had proof that the lying _had_ been necessary.

Once he was in the newspaper office, Diego locked the door and settled down to compose a letter to Ernesto, one that would convey the current fiscal irregularities as well as extending an invitation to have him visit the pueblo to determine the truth himself. He took his time writing the letter, wanting to be sure it was as thorough and accurate as possible and calculated to appeal to Ernesto's by the book approach to law.

When he was done, he carefully blotted the letter and sealed it before putting it in his jacket pocket. In the morning he would have a talk with Domingo and see if he would be willing to make the trip to Buenaventura to deliver the invitation personally. This week Diego wasn't sure he could afford the time to go himself as he couldn't be certain that Ernesto had arrived yet, and Zorro was likely to be needed to deal with De Soto's tax collection. He knew Domingo could be trusted to see that the letter made it to its destination intact. He was not going to let any selfish concerns about what Ernesto might reveal to his father interfere with a chance to get De Soto to back down.

It was in this more determined frame of mind that he left the newspaper office and started walking toward the tavern. He hadn't made it more than a few yards when he saw the very man he wanted to talk to approaching the newspaper office. Feeling as though fate was smiling in his favor for once as they went back into the office, Diego asked Domingo if he would be willing to take the message for him. Domingo had the time and was willing enough considering what Diego was offering him for the job and promised to leave first thing in the morning. After he'd given him the letter, Diego crossed the plaza feeling relieved though a little trepidatious now that the letter was out of his hands. His mood was made even lighter by Victoria's smile when he walked through the door. He kissed her hand in greeting.

"Your solitude seems to have improved your temper," she said..

"I simply needed time to get some perspective, and seeing you is enough to do the rest," he replied.

She smiled brightly at him. "I'm glad to see you too," she said, then stepped closer to him. "If you're willing to wait an hour for dinner, I thought I'd close the tavern early so we can have dinner alone this evening."

"There's nothing I'd like better," Diego replied.

"Good," Victoria replied. "Despite it all, I feel like celebrating."

Diego smiled. "There is much for which to be grateful, perhaps least of all that De Soto has no use for a thinking soldier. Now is there anything you need for me to do or would you rather me stay out of the way?"

"There's nothing I need you to do except be patient, and you are so very good at that," she said softly.

Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear, "Not nearly as patient as I should be."

"I'm sure you can find a way to pass the time," she said, moving away and back to the kitchen, tossing him a bright smile before disappearing behind the curtains.

With a rueful grin, Diego looked around the room. There were only a few people still eating. He was relieved to see that De Soto was not among them, as he'd only just gotten his temper back in order. He wasn't sure how he felt about not seeing Mendoza. At the moment he didn't really know what to say to his friend. "Sorry my father was partially responsible for your failure to get a commission" was out of the question. As well as "count your good fortune that you're not stuck with trying to turn me into a lancer." He shook his head slightly as he went to sit in the back corner and pulled his sketch pad out of his pocket.

He opened it to a fresh page and started working on a new drawing of Victoria. He had no idea how many pictures of her he had drawn over the years, and most of them were still hidden away in the cave. She was always his favorite subject, and by now he could have drawn her in the dark from memory. This one was her in motion, spinning in a dance; he wasn't sure why, but working on it was enough of a distraction that he hadn't registered that the last of the patrons had left until he heard Victoria locking the front door.

She smiled at him when he looked up at her, crossing the room before he had time to do more than put his sketch pad down. "And what has you so distracted?" she asked, moving around to lean over his shoulder to look at his drawing.

"As always, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he said, turning her hand towards him in order to kiss the palm tenderly.

"And she would rather be distracting you personally," Victoria replied, planting a kiss next to his ear.

"You are very distracting, mi preciosa," he said, reaching up to caress her cheek before pulling her closer to kiss her.

Eventually, Victoria whispered in his ear, "Our dinner is getting cold."

At the moment, he didn't care if he ever ate again but recalling himself, said, "We can't have that, can we? Not when you've gone to so much trouble."

"Oh, it wasn't so much trouble," she replied as she ran one hand teasingly down his arm before starting towards the kitchen.

He stood up quickly, grabbing her hand before she got out of range. "Let me help."

"There's nothing left to be done," she said, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek before leading him into the kitchen. She _had_ actually gone to some trouble, setting up the table in the kitchen with a table cloth and flowers and its own candles. "Do you mind eating in the kitchen?" she asked. "It was so much easier to get things ready here while I was dealing with the last of the customers."

Diego looked around with a smile, his eye almost automatically drifting up to the window that he climbed out of more times he could count "Of course not, this kitchen holds rather fond memories for me," he said softly.

"And for me as well," Victoria replied. She went over and uncovered the plates, while Diego went over to pull out her chair for her.

"This looks wonderful," he said as they sat down. "I've been looking forward to having some of your enchiladas."

"I once promised you the best you've ever eaten," Victoria said.

"And these certainly are," Diego said after taking a bite. "I've always loved your cooking." He smiled at her. "I'm sorry for rushing off earlier. Did my father say anything?"

"Not much, though he does know you're having dinner with me. He didn't really notice you'd left for a while, and by the time he did, he was more distracted by the arrival of our alcalde who did not let the opportunity to gloat a little pass him by."

Diego instantly tensed up, but then relaxed when he realized if something bad had happened, Victoria would have told him immediately and not brought it up casually an hour after she'd seen him.

"So what did my father do?" Diego asked, hoping that what Victoria considered not worth mentioning really was that inconsequential.

"For a moment, I thought he was going to throw his gloves in the alcalde's face, but he didn't. He actually got control of himself and instead politely (under the circumstances) said goodbye to me and left for home. I think you would have been proud of him," she said.

That was an unusual show from his father, but then again he _had_ lost that bet and might have seen that as part of his price for losing. Diego wished he could rely on his father's temper, but it was too unpredictable. "I suppose we can hope that a little misplaced impulsiveness is good for his self-control. I know it always has been for me."

"That sounds like the beginning of an interesting story," Victoria said, with a teasing smile.

"Several not so interesting stories, most of which you already know," Diego replied. "I couldn't help but remember some of them while I was out sketching." Not wanting to give her a chance to press the question since he really didn't want to talk about the ones she didn't know about, he added, "I hope the alcalde didn't give you any trouble."

"No," Victoria said, but there was a gleam in her eye that said she knew exactly what he was doing and would come back to the subject later. "Just his usual brand of pomposity. Though he did make some comments about your day dreaming nature." She giggled slightly. "I'm sorry. But when you were talking about cloud formations, I think he thought you'd gone mad. It was probably that more than everything else that convinced him he didn't want you as a soldier."

"Well, I had to draw his attention somehow so that you or Felipe could get the door closed."

"I'm sorry that Felipe ended up having to do it, but it was a mesmerizing performance," she said.

"I'm glad you found it entertaining," Diego said.

"Oh, sí. Especially getting insight into what pops into your head when you don't have time to think it out. So you really think that fantasizing is helpful to the mind?" she asked in a flirtatious voice.

"It can be," he replied, "especially when action would be unwise." Also, he wasn't about to say that he'd had to stop himself from saying Victoria dressed as Venus going to the baths, something that should never be said in public and not mentioned in private for another six months. A long six months away. And right now, he needed a distraction from what he really wanted to do, so it seemed the best time to mention his letter to Ernesto. "I think I may have come up with a means of ridding ourselves of the sales tax."

"Really?"

"Yes," he said, before telling her about the letter he'd written his old friend, hoping to catch him while he was within an easy travel distance of Los Angeles.

"You're sure this is a good idea?" Victoria asked. "I mean if he went to the university with you then..." she broke off.

"I trust him. And he understands very well why I wouldn't want anyone to know everything I learned; he prefers not to advertise what he's learned as well," Diego said. "It should be fine." He paused to push away his fear of what Ernesto might reveal to his father. "And while we can be sure that Zorro will ride to fight this tax, I'd rather try a more legal solution, since Ignacio does seem far more permanently susceptible to authority figures."

"That's true. And it would make a change to have one more firmly on the side of the law," Victoria said.

"That's Ernesto," Diego replied, "though we can't expect him to do more than deal with some of the current tax issues. There's definitely too many contradictory forces in the government to expect more than that."

"But that's something," she said. "And a very important something at that."

"True, it is one of our biggest problems."

"Aside from an alcalde willing to hang innocent people to try to make himself look good," Victoria said.

Diego frowned. "That is true. I still find it hard to believe that he was really going to hang José as Zorro— using black satin that could be found in almost any home. Just because he was desperate to impress the governor." This overeagerness to condemn a man with the weakest possible proof was De Soto's most abhorrent quality. Taxes could be undone; murdering a man could not. Perhaps Ernesto could ease one burden on the pueblo, but there was still this to be dealt with.

Victoria obviously regretting the dark turn the conversation had taken, reached out to cover his hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Well, he didn't succeed— again. Now tell me about your friend. You know, you still haven't told me much about your university days, and there isn't any reason anymore why you can't," she said adding in a teasing tone, "is there? I mean aside from whatever embarrassing tales you don't want me to hear from your aunt and uncle."

Shaking away his heavier thoughts, Diego smiled at her and lifted her hand for a kiss. "No, there's no real reason, simply habit," he said. Having to hide so much for so long, it simply wasn't natural to him to bring up events from those days, even with Victoria. "Let's see. Ernesto and I first met on the voyage to Spain as we were both starting the university at the same time. Well, technically, we actually met in a shop in San Diego which is where he started from. Neither of us thought we had enough to read on the voyage, and we literally bumped into each other because we were too busy looking through the available books to pay attention to our surroundings."

"I didn't think you got that lost in books," Victoria said.

"Occasionally," he said. "Besides I knew I didn't have much time so it was easy to ignore everything else."

"And he was doing the same."

"Yes, it was a rather prosaic meeting, I'm afraid, and once we found out we were both going to the University, we coordinated our book buying so there weren't any duplicates, and we exchanged books during the voyage which was rather uneventful. But with the close quarters, it was definitely a case of either becoming friends or mortal enemies, and neither of us were of the particular temperament to want an enemy."

"So you became friends," Victoria said.

"It was easier, even though he was far more interested in law and economics, and I preferred the arts and sciences. It didn't matter. We'd talk about what mutually interested us and occasionally bored each other with what didn't. And as two Californians in Madrid it was natural for us to continue the friendship, especially as we both had the same philosophy when it came to study. Not a very dramatic story, I'm afraid."

"Not a very dramatic _beginning_ ," Victoria corrected. "Knowing you, I rather expect there were more than a few adventures along the way to justify the trust you have in him."

"Perhaps a few," Diego admitted. "But I think they can wait until another time." They were both almost done with their dinner.

"I'll hold you to that," she said. "I do have some flan for dessert, though it no longer seems to be your favorite." She teased him as she brought the plates to the table.

"Now, that's not quite true, Victoria," Diego replied in an equally teasing tone, raising one hand to caress her cheek. "It's simply that there's nothing I find sweeter than your kiss." He leaned forward to kiss her.

She smiled at him. "Perhaps we should do a comparison after we've eaten the flan. Certainly it should be sweeter then, don't you think?"

"You're right," he said, as he settled back in his chair and picked up his spoon. It was somewhat difficult to concentrate on his own dessert while he was watching Victoria eating hers. His earlier good intentions seemed to be fading rapidly, though somehow he managed to finish eating without making an exhibition of himself.

Having finished the last spoonful, without a word, Victoria stood up and walked next to him. Threading her fingers into his hair, she leaned over and kissed him. It _was_ sweeter. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She almost fell but ended up sitting on his lap instead. They sat looking at each other for a moment before Victoria with a smile kissed him again. Diego reached up to cradle her cheeks in his hands as he kissed her. It was getting more difficult to restrain himself, but Diego kissed her forehead, before leaning back, one hand still resting gently against her cheek.

"I'll need to leave soon," he whispered.

"Why?" Victoria asked softly. "All my guest rooms are free. You could stay in your usual room."

Resolutely pushing aside the thoughts of what he and Victoria could do all alone in an empty tavern, Diego said, "As tempting as that is, I should go home. But I'll help you with the dishes first."

Victoria sighed and leaned against his shoulder. "You don't have to. There's not much left to be done."

Diego placed a kiss on the top of her head, tightening his arms around her. "I'd like to; I don't want to leave you with any extra work tonight. If you don't trust me to wash, I can dry."

"All right," Victoria said, tilting her head back to kiss the corner of his jaw, before moving to stand up.

He gathered up the plates and utensils and brought them to the basin she used for washing dishes. She was right that there wasn't much left to be done, and she did have him drying the dishes. Afterwards, they returned to the main room of the tavern where he helped her dowse the candles in the chandelier. Idly as the candles went out, Diego wondered what things might be like if he were marrying into her life instead of her into his. Would he adapt as easily? He'd like to think so, but he couldn't be certain. After the candles were out, he raised the chandelier back into place and looked at Victoria, beautiful in the dim light of the candle they'd brought with them. Six more months and there'd be no need for them to part at all.

They walked to the door together and looked at each other, not saying a word. Taking her hands in his, Diego leaned down to give her one last kiss, gentle but full of longing.

"I love you, Victoria," he said.

"And I love you, Diego," she replied, moving to hug him tightly. "Be careful on the ride home."

"I will, and I'll see you tomorrow, though I can't be sure of the time."

Victoria nodded as she stepped back, and Diego opened the door. He lifted her hand for a kiss and said a final good night before stepping outside, waiting only long enough to hear her lock the door before making his way to Esperanza. He took his time getting home, still wanting to avoid his father, despite the lightening of his mood.

~Z~Z~Z~

After a long and restless night punctuated by the most disturbing dreams, Diego's tendency to late rising helped him again. His father had already ridden out on some errand by the time he'd emerged from his room. After breakfast, he slipped down to the cave. He had no idea what was going to happen over the next several days, but he knew he needed to be prepared for anything. He spent most of the morning working on a fresh set of smoke bombs as well as a few more explosive charges, while overseeing Felipe's lessons which had been somewhat neglected lately.

It was an engrossing way to spend the morning, even as he kept getting distracted by various thoughts. Firstly, that rather than spending his time create more weapons to protect Zorro, he'd have preferred to be doing more experiments with fireworks, but he was unlikely to get the opportunity to use those again too soon.

He far preferred the idea of creating something beautiful rather than destructive. Perhaps if things worked out with Ernesto and the tax, he could get the time to devote to creating those fireworks. He'd been wanting to experiment more with creating different colors. It was a pity that he couldn't show his interest in them openly as Diego, but unfortunately any form of explosives belonged to Zorro. And sadly experiments in photography too, though he felt he could get around the fact that Zorro had done that eventually. Curiosity about how it was done would work.

It was frustrating that he had to hide a large part of his scientific interests. However, he did take pleasure in the fact that he didn't have to hide his interest in medicine or ways to improve crops. Very few of his experiments were pointless as his father thought. It was true that sometimes they failed or backfired or produced no practical result, but that didn't make them useless. On the contrary, even a failure told him something. But he never had enough time to do all that he wanted.

However, he certainly couldn't regret one of the biggest reasons that he hadn't enough time. After all, Victoria was far more entrancing than even the most intricate puzzle or mystery. Six more months and she would be his wife. No more worries about how to behave. What was temptation now would be proper behavior then. Oh, he was weary of having to guard himself, and it was becoming so much more difficult with each passing day. How had he managed for three years to put off the thought of marriage with Victoria? It must have been a form of insanity, especially considering what a warm and passionate lady she was. He dreamed of her almost nightly, and those dreams were anything but chaste or conducive to bolstering his self-control.

Diego only realized how much he had been daydreaming when he saw Felipe watching him with a cheeky grin.

"All right," he said, closing the book in front him and making a show of checking his watch. "I think we've done enough."

Still smiling Felipe made a series of gestures the last of which made Diego raise an eyebrow.

"Yes, I was planning to eat lunch at the tavern, and as to the rest, I have nothing whatever to say, except the tavern's a busy place at lunch, and I have no intention of making a spectacle of myself— or Victoria." He shook his head a bit. Felipe was definitely a young man now, and he was no longer shy about jokes at Diego's expense. As the two of them headed out of the cave, he wondered if he needed to have another talk with him soon, even if he hadn't seemed to notice another girl since Keenona had left the mission school. If nothing else, Diego wanted to know where he was getting some of the information he was using to tease him with.

Nevertheless on the ride to town, he decided to tell Felipe about his letter to Ernesto and was not surprised to see that his concern was mostly about Zorro. Diego reassured him as best he could, leaving out his real fears about Ernesto's visit, not wanting to bring up the subject of his father. Felipe had born the brunt of his anxieties for years. It wasn't fair to him, and he certainly didn't want to burden him any more than he did, especially in regards to his father, who had looked after Felipe in those years he'd been away.

When they entered the tavern, Diego realized he had been right. The tavern was crowded despite the fact that it was on the later side for lunch. Good for Victoria's business, bad for him to spend any time with her, especially since she wasn't visible at the moment. However they had had a private dinner the night before, and as he remembered certain parts of the evening with great fondness, he suddenly needed to turn his thoughts quickly and found a welcome distraction in the form of Sergeant Mendoza, who apparently had just ordered his lunch.

"Buenos días, Sergeant," Diego said brightly. "The tavern's quite full today. May we join you?"

Mendoza smiled broadly, assuming correctly that Diego would buy his lunch. "Of course, Don Diego, Felipe."

"You seem in good spirits today," Diego said.

"Oh, sí. The alcalde has decided to wait a few days before trying to collect the sales tax again. He says it's so that everyone gets the news, but..." Mendoza leaned forward a little. "I think he's just realized that Zorro isn't going to accept the sales tax just because he won a bet with your father..."

"True," Diego said with a sudden repressed annoyance. "Zorro isn't bound by anyone's foolish wager." _Though I would have been if I hadn't managed to talk my way out of it. Another good reason my father doesn't know._ "I am glad to hear everyone gets a reprieve." He hoped that it would be more than a few days, but Domingo should be in Buenaventura now. If Ernesto was there, he could get an answer back by tomorrow. With good luck Ernesto would arrive before De Soto got up his courage to try to collect the tax, and Zorro wouldn't have to ride, but he'd still be ready for whatever might happen.

"Sí, it's much nicer to be sitting here waiting for Señorita Victoria's tamales than out riding for hours," Mendoza said.

At that moment, Victoria emerged from the kitchen, and Diego's focus immediately shifted. He loved the way her eyes sparkled and the smile that appeared on her face when she saw him. He stood up when she approached the table and kissed her hand.

"Buenos días, Victoria," he said. "You look radiant as well as busy today."

She smiled at him. "Gracias, Diego, though I don't know how I can look radiant on such a day. It _has_ been very busy." She looked around for a moment. "But I'm glad to see you here nonetheless. What would you and Felipe like for lunch?"

"For myself whatever is most readily available; you know I love all your cooking. As for Felipe..." He looked at his young friend who signed that he didn't care either; he was hungry.

"All right, I'll hold you to that," she said. "It shouldn't be too long." She turned and disappeared again, skirts swirling around her. He could watch her forever. It took effort for him to turn his attention back to Mendoza and his conversation.

While he hoped to see Victoria again, it was Alicia who brought out their lunches, and Diego was a somewhat abstracted conversationalist, though it didn't matter as Mendoza needed little encouragement to continue talking. Diego was glad that he didn't seem to be dwelling on his own loss, though he did finally tell Diego what it was that had ruined the interview. A single comment about a nose. A ridiculous thing that shouldn't have done anything, but De Soto knew and prompted Mendoza and thus won the bet, yet Mendoza didn't seem to hold a grudge. One thing Diego admired about Mendoza was his ability to be content with his life, even serving under a tyrannical alcalde who'd just sabotaged his chances of becoming an officer. Diego had played the fool for a long time, but he very much doubted he'd have been able to stomach all that Mendoza had to endure as a royal lancer under bad commanders.

Once Felipe was done, he signed that he wanted to leave, saying he had some errands. Diego let him go, only telling him that he was probably going to linger in town, and there was no reason why he should wait for him once he was done. Felipe just nodded and smiled before going, and Diego returned to the conversation with Mendoza, while still watching Victoria every time she emerged from the kitchen. However, as she still seemed very busy, even as the crowds thinned, he contented himself with simply watching her. Mendoza left not too long before siesta was to begin, and Diego took the next opportunity to speak to Victoria.

"Do you mind if I stay longer?" he asked.

Looking tired, Victoria said, "I'd like that, but I won't be the best company."

"Querida, you can never be anything but the best company," Diego replied with a smile. "However, I have no objections to simply sitting with you." He bent closer so that no one would overhear. "I even volunteer my shoulder for you to lean against."

Victoria's eyes brightened a bit. "That sounds very... comforting," she said. "Then by all means stay."

"Gracias," he said, lifting her hand for another kiss before going back to sit down again. It wasn't much longer before the last customers were leaving, and Victoria was locking up the tavern.

"Done at last," she said, turning away.

"You do look tired," Diego said, reaching to embrace her in a hug, glad to hold her for a moment.

"It's been a busy day," she said, taking his hand to lead him back to the tavern's one private sitting room which on rare occasions she'd let guests use, but which was meant to be the family's retreat, though she'd rarely used it.

Despite that, it was still well aired. Diego dropped Victoria's hand just long enough to open the shutters on the window to let in the afternoon light, then moved over to the sofa, where he and Victoria sat down.

"I believe I offered you a shoulder to lean on," he said, holding out his arms.

With a smile, Victoria slid closer and turned to lean back comfortably against him, stretching her legs out against the sofa. For the moment, Diego let his arm rest across the top of the sofa, but as he saw her furrowed brow he reached to gently rub her temples.

"That is very pleasant," Victoria murmured.

He kissed the top of her head, not stopping the massage. "You seem to have had a trying morning."

"No, simply busy," she said.

"It seems as if you need more help," he said quietly.

"True, but not all the time, and that is the difficulty," she said, eyes still closed. "However, I'm working on that. It seems that Alicia's younger sister Teresa is willing to work part time if needed. She'll be coming this afternoon which should be a little less busy and easier to show her what needs to be done."

"That sounds sensible," Diego said. "I hate to see you so overworked when you don't need to be."

Victoria reached up and grabbed hold of one of his hands and pulled it to her mouth to kiss his palm before moving it back to her temple. "It's my choice. If I could only find a decent manager..."

His palm still tingling from her kiss, Diego's hands moved into her hair, trying to soothe away her cares. "Still no luck?"

"Not yet," she said, moving slightly to get more comfortable. "It is difficult since I haven't yet heard from either of my brothers, but if I could find the right person I wouldn't let that interfere." She sighed a little. "Your hands are very soothing."

"And at your command," he said, though he knew he couldn't use them exactly as he wished. He leaned down to place another light kiss this time on her forehead.

She opened her eyes for a moment and smiled at him in a way that made it seem as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Then she closed her eyes and relaxed again. "It seems like the only people interested in managing the tavern are men that I wouldn't trust anywhere near the cashbox. Ideally, I'd love an older married couple, but there's no one around here that wants the job, and with our alcalde, Los Angeles isn't the most tempting place to draw in new people."

"Unfortunately, true, and I'm afraid I haven't been much help, but I do know my father's been trying among his old military friends. To a retired soldier or sailor, Los Angeles might not be unappealing."

"Yes, that would be the next best thing," she said. "I still have time, though I would ideally have some one by March." Her voice was becoming quite drowsy.

"March?" he asked, letting his hands rest on her shoulder.

"Before we're too involved in the final wedding preparations," she said. She reached up and pulled one of his arms down and around her waist.

He let his arm rest lightly against her, as she shifted slightly. He could tell she was nearly asleep and decided to let her rest, as he let his thoughts drift. It was true that Victoria would be having a lot more to do with the wedding getting so close, and that having to oversee a new manager would only add to the stress. He wished he had better contacts, but this _was_ one area where his father's experience and contacts were far superior to his own, and his father had been writing to almost everyone he thought might be able to give him a lead to someone who would fill Victoria's basic requirements.

Diego repressed a sigh when he thought about how he could both rely on his father doing everything he could for both of them and yet couldn't trust his pride or his temper not to unwittingly expose them to danger. He really needed to let his irritation go. After all nothing was changing. He would rely on his father's forthright nature to be exactly as it always was and remember he was an honorable man who would do all for his family. In a way he was following in his father's footsteps, trying to protect them all, even from his own failures of temper.

After all, _he_ was the one who was concealing such a large part of who he was from his father, so that he didn't know what to expect from him. Maybe someday, he would be able to retire Zorro, and then it would be safe to tell his father, not before. Besides he had Felipe's support and Victoria's love which was more than he'd ever expected. And if he could just accept that and not hope for things that shouldn't happen, life would be much simpler for them all. Having two out of the three most important people in his life know him as he really was wasn't such a bad thing, and he did try to disappoint his father less.

He looked down at Victoria, who now seemed fast asleep. She was so beautiful and with an inner strength he'd barely begun to understand. He'd been such a fool to hide from her for so long. From the moment she'd learned his secret she'd helped him in such unexpected ways. He'd expected her knowing would make things more dangerous, but instead she'd become a partner whose aid and support was every bit as important to him as Felipe's. While he was still afraid of what might happen if Zorro were ever captured, he couldn't bring himself to regret her knowing. Her love had become absolutely necessary to him.

He was starting to become drowsy himself and for a moment wondered if he should try slipping off the sofa, but Victoria looked very comfortable, and he loved holding her. Gently he tried to adjust his position so that he could get comfortable himself without disturbing her. Soon he too was asleep.


	16. An Officer and a Gentleman (After Silk Purses and Sows Ears) Part 2

About an hour later, Diego woke. His head had been at an awkward angle, and his neck was rather stiff. There were some distinct disadvantages to being tall, he thought as he rubbed at the back of his neck trying not to disturb the still sleeping Victoria, unsuccessfully. Drowsily, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, unconsciously letting one hand drop onto his thigh. He froze, hand still at the back of his neck, and his feelings weren't helped by the way Victoria was looking at him with half-opened eyes. His arm tightened around her waist almost involuntarily. He'd spent most of his life practicing self-control, yet he was finding it harder and harder to remember to be a gentleman with his beautiful fiancée.

Victoria moved her hand up to his chest, still without having registered where she'd rested it. Her fingers resting on the skin exposed by his open collar. "You make a very comfortable pillow," she whispered. "Though you really shouldn't."

"I long for the day when I can serve that function, day or night," he said with an attempt at a laugh, though he was completely serious. As he moved his head, he felt an additional twinge in his neck and didn't quite hide it from her.

"Are you all right, Diego?" Victoria asked, pushing herself away from him slightly and looking at him with concern.

Diego tried to make light of it. "Alas, I don't find that I make a comfortable pillow for myself."

Staring at the sofa and then him, she said, "No, you can't have been very comfortable." She slid off the sofa, stretching slightly as she stood. Diego closed his eyes in order to not stare. Placing one hand on his shoulder, Victoria walked around behind him. Running her other hand firmly down the back of his neck, she asked, "Where does it hurt?"

Diego almost had to bite his tongue not to give the first answer that popped into his head. This was no way to think while they weren't yet married. "Victoria, there's no need," he said, after a short pause to pull his self control back together.

"Don't be silly," Victoria replied, resting her hands on his shoulders and giving a gentle squeeze. "You did the same for me and let me sleep while you got sore. Let me return the favor. Now where?" Victoria's voice was determined.

Unable to say anything more, Diego indicated where his neck was hurting. Victoria had a deft touch. Probably all those years of kneading bread, he thought wryly, even as he tried not to embarrass himself by making a sound and to distract himself from just how well she was easing his pains, at least some of them.

"Have you seen your father since yesterday?" she asked.

That was enough to redirect his errant thoughts. "No," he said softly. "He wasn't up when I got home and was gone before I woke."

"So you're not still avoiding him," she said..

"Not anymore," Diego finally said. "For some reason I simply needed more time to be ready to act as normal. I should be fine now."

Victoria's hands stilled on his shoulders. "You've decided against telling him after all," she said quietly.

This was the one matter on which they'd never been in agreement, and he understood why. There was certainly a resemblance in Victoria and his father's temperaments, something she'd been quick to point out during the few times they'd discussed the question. Diego felt lucky she'd forgiven him for deceiving her and that she was willing to let him decide when or if he would tell his father. He wondered if his father would be able to forgive him, once it was safe for him to tell him the truth, but he was still more convinced than ever that the time was not now.

"How can I?" he whispered, not wanting to say all the doubts he had and knowing that even alone they'd still need to be circumspect.

"Perhaps if he knew, he'd be more cautious," Victoria said. "After all you are his only son."

"I was his only son before he made that bet," Diego bit out. Apparently his anger hadn't yet gone entirely. "I'm sorry, Victoria." He reached up to take her hand. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I can't risk our lives on this."

"But shouldn't he have the chance to know?" Victoria asked.

Diego turned in his seat and looked up at her, suddenly struck with a memory, sharp and painful. Gently tugging on her hand, he encouraged her to come sit beside him again. "I did try once."

"What? When?" she asked, barely managing to keep her voice low.

"When he was shot," he said. He looked down at Victoria's hand in his. She'd been a great source of comfort then, even acting as a friend. He loved her all the more for her compassion, though he couldn't say a thing. "I remember you telling me that I was a good son, but I knew I wasn't, and wanting him to know in case..." He stopped; he'd been very afraid that his father was going to die. Victoria moved her hand to his shoulder. Diego pulled himself together. It had been more than two years since that incident. In a lighter though still soft voice, he said, "So I told him, and when he woke he thought he'd been dreaming, since it was too ridiculous to be true." When Diego noticed the expression on Victoria's face, he hastened to add, "He did also say that he was happy with my being his son even if I wasn't..." It didn't really make things better. "It was a long time ago."

"But it clearly still stings," she said.

"Perhaps a little," Diego admitted, "but honestly, I hadn't thought about it for a long time. And things are different now. Father doesn't think I'm so hopeless anymore." He smiled at Victoria and leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "He certainly thinks I have impeccable taste when it comes to choosing a wife. And he has let me take on more of the paperwork, since he's always hated it."

"And you're very good with it," Victoria said. "Your father has said as much to me."

"That is something at least," Diego said. Then he sighed. "And speaking of the paperwork, I've just remembered that with everything that's happened in the last few days that I've gotten behind with the books, and there are a few things I'll need to speak with my father about in the next few days."

Victoria moved her hand to his cheek. "I take it that means you need to leave," she said.

He closed his eyes a moment to simply enjoy the sensation of her touch. "Unfortunately," he said. Opening his eyes, he added, "Victoria, I know you're busy tonight and possibly tomorrow, but would you come to dinner the day after?"

"I would love to," Victoria said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. As she sat back, she suddenly smiled at him flirtatiously. "You know, I believe I was rather preoccupied last night, and I've just realized that I never asked when you thought your friend might arrive."

"I can't be sure, but I'm hoping within a week," Diego replied, before grinning wickedly at her in return. "Can I ask what in particular preoccupied you?"

"Oh, I'd say the handsome caballero sitting next to me," Victoria replied. "The one I'm very much looking forward to marrying in less than six months time."

"And he's very much looking forward to marrying you," Diego said, kissing her lips gently, trying very much to keep things light as he was about to leave. As he straightened back up, he wondered if his father would think impulsiveness so good for the soul if he tried convincing Victoria to elope. Somehow he doubted it.

Victoria leaned against him for a moment before standing up, Diego following her. As they walked towards the front of the tavern, Victoria asked, "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Probably not before the evening," Diego reluctantly replied. "But I will try."

"That's all I ask," Victoria said.

Victoria unbolted the front door, and the two of them stood there a moment staring at one another. Then unable to resist despite his resolve to be sensible, Diego pulled her close for a passionate kiss before saying goodbye and leaving for home.

~Z~Z~Z~

When Diego arrived home after seeing to Esperanza, he went straight to his room. Normally, he kept and worked on the rancho's records and accounts in the library. It made it easier for him to either slip out when he needed to or to catch his father's attention when required. However, at the beginning of this, when De Soto was starting his house to house search for evidence of Zorro or Toronado and he was about to start helping Mendoza prepare, Diego had locked the books away in his room, not wanting to give De Soto the opportunity to learn too much about his family's finances.

It was another time when his great-grandfather's paranoia about safety and security came in handy, as aside from the cave that his father had forgotten about, many of the rooms in the hacienda had hidden caches for the protection of valuables. So it was a simple matter for Diego to conceal the books, though it did turn out that his precautions were unnecessary as the lancers made only a cursory search before Sepulveda somehow confused a mare with a stallion. However, that brief moment of horror with the fireplace did make him think that it might be a good idea to try to figure out a better way of protecting the switch as this was the second time someone had accidentally opened the panel. He wasn't sure he'd be so lucky with a third, but it would definitely require some thought as it would be too difficult to make any alterations to the fireplace without his father becoming suspicious.

Diego retrieved the books and papers he needed to work on and went to his desk. He wasn't in the mood to take it all to the library, and what he needed his father's input on could wait until the next day. Looking over everything, Diego sighed a little as he got started; this was going to take a while. Once again, he reflected on the annoying limitations of time. At least, he'd forgotten this enough to be able to spend the afternoon with Victoria; that was far more important to him. Holding her, sitting with her, talking with her, simply being with her was wonderful— and frustrating. Six more months. He was determined not to think of the precise number of days, though he knew them all too well. He shook his head as he realized he'd made a mistake and re-focused on the work in front of him. He'd rather not spend all evening on this.

Two hours later, Diego had finished. Closing the books and stacking the papers, he got up from his desk and went to make sure that Maria knew he was going to be at home for dinner. Not that it mattered that much, as she always had more than enough for them or any extra guests that might be invited.

Diego didn't see his father until it was time for dinner, and Don Alejandro behaved exactly as Diego expected him to, which was a relief as Diego felt he was prepared for the status quo.

After telling Diego about what he'd been doing during the day, he said, "I haven't seen you since yesterday. What have you been up to?"

"Well, you know I had dinner with Victoria last night," Diego began. "This morning I had an experiment to see to as well as Felipe's lessons which have been neglected these past few days. Then we had lunch at the tavern." Diego paused a moment, then decided not to mention how long he stayed there with Victoria. "And this afternoon I was catching up with the accounts. There are some business matters I need to ask about, but they can wait until tomorrow."

"Fine," Alejandro said.

Diego noticed that he seemed somewhat abstracted. Was he still thinking about his confrontation with the alcalde yesterday? It wasn't like his father to brood. More like a fiery burst of anger and indignation which burnt out quickly. Diego wondered if he should mention the letter he had written to Ernesto. However, since at the moment he had no idea what response, if any, he was going to receive, he decided against it, especially as knowing Ernesto as he did, he expected him to want to stay at the tavern with its near proximity to the cuartel. That was his usual _modus operandi_. And if he stayed in town, Diego might as well use it as an excuse to do the same. They could catch up a bit, and he'd be closer to Victoria, in a less dangerously tempting situation. He tried not to think about the fact that it would mean Ernesto wouldn't be around his father as much.

"Diego..." his father's voice broke into his reverie.

"Yes, Father?" Diego asked.

"Have you and Victoria had a fight?"

Diego raised an eyebrow. That was an unexpected question. "Of course not. Victoria and I hardly ever fight," he said. He actually couldn't remember the last time she'd been angry with _him_. It might have been when he was wallowing in self-pity after having been mesmerized by a third rate villain, and that was only in response to his own foul mood. He remembered her support and their subsequent engagement more clearly. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that... you disappeared so quickly yesterday," Alejandro said. "I couldn't help wondering."

"I needed to get away for a while," Diego said evenly. He should have known it wouldn't occur to his father that he had plenty of reason to be irritated with him and in need of some time away from the hacienda. Inwardly, Diego sighed. He respected his father. His father was a good man, a man he respected. Though he could be obtuse at times and given to action without thought, Diego never doubted his father cared for him and his worry was now obvious. His betrothal to Victoria was a dream come true for Don Alejandro, and despite his aggravation, Diego couldn't bear the thought of his father worrying that anything was wrong between Victoria and him, so he did the most reasonable thing he could and blamed it on all on De Soto. "I wasn't in the mood to see the alcalde, in case he decided to change his mind." His father winced slightly, but said nothing. "Besides Victoria and I did have dinner when I got back." He was not going to mention anything they did beyond eating. He wasn't entirely sure what his father thought they could or should be doing while engaged, but he didn't plan to volunteer any information.

"And today?"

Why was he so concerned? Did his father think Victoria might change her mind? Did he think Diego would change his? If he thought so, he should have let them have a shorter engagement. "We... talked, after lunch," Diego said. "Victoria was really busy today, and this evening she's training a new helper. She's still concerned about trying to find a manager for the tavern. And I've invited her to have dinner with us the day after tomorrow, if that's all right."

"Of course, she's always welcome." His father noticeably brightened at the news of Victoria's planned visit. "And I might have a good possibility for a manager for her, an old sergeant with relatives in the area, but it will probably be another month before I get a response. Has she heard from her brothers yet?"

"Not yet, but she hopes to soon," Diego said. "But she's decided that she's not going to let that stop her if she finds the right person for the job."

"Good. You both are going to have a lot more to do after the new year begins, and I'd like her to have that off her mind before things get too hectic."

"She said as much herself," Diego replied. There had always been a similarity in the way Victoria and his father looked at things. He had always been glad of their closeness. It had certainly made things easier once he'd started courting her without a mask, since his father had always thought of her as an unofficial daughter.

"Luisa wants to get started on Victoria's wardrobe next month as well," Alejandro added. "Most of the materials should have arrived by then."

Diego really didn't know much about women's fashions. However, he did know it was his responsibility to provide Victoria with the best materials and clothes he could afford, which was actually a great deal, but he had left it to Victoria to choose what she liked best, as he wanted her to be happy with whatever she had, and left any battles over that be between her and Luisa, who after mainly doing repair work and sewing for the household was looking forward to being able to dress the soon-to-be de la Vega bride, as she had his mother. She even had her granddaughter poised to help her as well. This was another place he'd stay out of the way and simply do whatever he was told was necessary.

"I believe I'll need to go to Santa Paula for them," Diego finally said. He also had to go to Santa Paula to get his violin repaired. He hardly ever played it, but someone might find it useful when all the family started gathering together. It would be easy enough to combine the trips.

"Good," Alejandro replied.

Diego looked at his father, expecting him to say something else, but instead Alejandro turned his attention back to dinner, and Diego, not being in the mood to talk himself, conversation lagged. After dinner, Alejandro asked Diego if he'd go out with him to check on the fences in the morning and if the business could wait until before lunch. Diego agreed to both. Alejandro then said he was going to bed, as the day had been long enough.

Diego couldn't really repress the guilt he was feeling. His father still had to do too much, and he, ungrateful as he was, was still harboring an edge of frustration with the way things were when it was all his own fault. But all he could do was try to find a way to minimize the need for Zorro and try to take on more of the burden himself. He was tired himself, but the one thing he absolutely would not give up was time with Victoria. He needed her too much, especially in times like these when he was feeling trapped by expectations. Knowing that he had much more to do the next day, Diego decided to go to bed early himself. Maybe sleep would clear his perspective, and hopefully Domingo would return with a response to his message and give him some hope on the tax front.

~Z~Z~Z~

Early the next morning, Diego and Alejandro rode out to check the fences to the north, which were Alejandro's main concern. They were mostly solid, but there was one section that needed some repair. Diego was thankful that it required nothing more than getting Pablo and a few of the vaqueros out to fix the problem. As they rode back, Diego couldn't help but think that things would probably be simpler if he'd at least one brother, preferably older, as Diego knew that it wasn't just Zorro that kept him from being the ideal heir of his father's estate. He was too interested in other things to ever truly devote himself entirely to the rancho. Even a younger brother would be a relief, though he often thought of Felipe as a combination of son and little brother. Felipe deserved to be a de la Vega in name, but Diego wasn't sure what he could do about it, as Felipe himself seemed very desirous of staying out of sight, something that would become quite difficult if he became an official part of the family. Diego tried to put away his melancholy thoughts, which were now as troubling as his previous anger had been.

Once he and his father had returned home, it didn't take long to handle the business required. Diego hoped he had finally started appearing as normal, although he felt on edge for reasons he hadn't been able to fathom. Perhaps it was nervousness about the possible appearance of Ernesto. He didn't know, but he hoped he'd have an answer soon.

~Z~Z~Z~

After an uneventful lunch, Diego contemplated riding to Los Angeles. He missed Victoria, and he had no idea when to expect Domingo's return. He left the hacienda with the idea of heading to the stables. However, when he exited the gate, he couldn't help but notice a rider in the distance.

As he stood and watched, he thought the figure looked vaguely familiar. If he didn't know any better... As the rider approached, Diego realized that he wasn't wrong. It _was_ Ernesto. He hadn't expected him to appear so soon. Within another minute, he was in front of the gate.

Dismounting from his horse, with an eager voice, Ernesto said, "Diego de la Vega! I was right. It wasn't too hard to find this on my own. And you thought I'd never make it."

With a smile as he took in his friends appearance, Diego replied, "I never said you'd never make it. I said that you'd probably ride past without noticing it." He reached out to shake his friend's hand. "It's good to see you, and it looks as if you've gotten a new pair of spectacles."

Ernesto took them off for a second to let Diego examine them. "You know I've always been looking for a better fit, and these are the best so far." Putting his spectacles back on, he said. "I've been looking for an excuse to visit. I just didn't expect the one you sent."

"I must admit I didn't expect you so soon," Diego said. "Why don't you come inside for a minute, and we can talk before I take you to town. Unless you'd like to stay here. I know my father won't mind. In fact, he'll probably insist when he meets you."

"I'll come in, but you're right that I'd rather stay in town. You know how I usually handle these things, though on this trip I'm afraid I don't have the time to do the thorough kind of preliminary work that I like. However, as your letter made things sound urgent, I thought I'd come instead of sending a reply."

"Thank you," Diego said, but then a thought hit him and he looked down the road. "Where's Mateo? I didn't think you'd go anywhere without him."

"Or more like he wouldn't let me go anywhere without him. You know he's always taken his duties too seriously. I did convince him that I'd be safe enough riding with your messenger, as I needed him to stay behind, for one or two unfinished things. He should be arriving with the wagon the day after tomorrow. I pity any bandit who tries anything en route."

Diego led the way inside, privately agreeing. Mateo had been Ernesto's most faithful servant since he'd entered his service in Madrid, and as Mateo was a giant of a man noticeably taller than Diego and possibly one of the deadliest fighters he had ever seen, Diego would pity anyone who tried to accost him anywhere. It was ironic that Mateo was for the most part a gentle soul, whose chief virtues were his loyalty and protectiveness.

When they entered the house, Don Alejandro was just about to leave the library. "Ah, Diego, I was just about to..." He stopped when he saw that Diego wasn't alone.

Diego paused. It took him a moment to figure out how to frame everything with as much composure as possible, since he'd inevitably have to deal with the bet even if obliquely in this conversation. Before the silence became awkward, he spoke. "Father, I'm glad to see you. This is my friend Ernesto Moraga; I'm sure you remember me mentioning him— we went to the university together. Ernesto, this is my father, Don Alejandro."

The two men shook hands. After a short pause, Alejandro said, "Yes, I remember now. You're Gregorio Moraga's son, and you and Diego met on the way to the university."

"That's right," Ernesto said. "And my father told me to give you his best regards if we ever met."

"It's been a long time since I've seen him," Alejandro said. "But what brings you to Los Angeles?"

Ernesto looked at Diego, who spoke quickly wanting to get past the vexing issue of the bet and the sales tax. "I invited him, Father. I don't think I mentioned it before, but Ernesto's got the job of investigating fiscal issues in the smaller pueblos, so since the alcalde has not seen fit to rescind the sales tax," _because my father turned it into a bet rather than a legal matter_ , Diego thought but didn't say, "and I knew that Ernesto was going to be in the area, I thought he'd be the right man to help us... . I would have mentioned it earlier, but as I wasn't sure when or if Ernesto would be able to come, I was going to wait for a reply, but as you see, the man himself arrived."

"Well, your letter made it sound urgent, and it was as easy to come back with your messenger as send a message, and as I've said, I don't have much time for this visit, and I didn't want to waste any."

"And in light of that, it would probably be a good idea for us to go into town, so you can get settled in before siesta," Diego said, not really wanting to go into detail.

Alejandro looked confused. "Why didn't you invite your friend to stay here?"

"My fault," Ernesto said. "To do my work best, it helps to stay in the local tavern, especially as this one is so convenient to the cuartel." He stopped and smiled. "And I must admit I'm looking forward to meeting the almost legendary Señorita Escalante. I never thought it would take Diego this long to get engaged to her."

"Really?" Don Alejandro asked.

Diego almost groaned; Ernesto was well aware that he'd had feelings for Victoria since before he'd left for the University. He didn't particularly want his father delving too deeply into that, especially as a couple years ago, during a time when his father had been hinting particularly strongly about his desire for grandchildren, Diego had told his father about his broken engagement to Zafira, hoping that would ease up the pressure a little. He actually felt more than a bit ashamed of that.

"Father, we really should get to town," Diego said, desperately, but not wanting it to look as if he were afraid to let Ernesto talk to his father added. "Perhaps if tomorrow goes well, Ernesto could have dinner here. You know Victoria's already coming."

"A splendid idea, Diego," Alejandro said, with a gleam in his eye that did not bode well for Diego. "Yes, I'm sure that your business will be a success, and I'd definitely like to hear what stories you can tell about what my son was like outside the class room."

"Dinner sounds wonderful, and I'm sure that I can tell a few things that you might find interesting."

Diego glared at Ernesto, who simply smiled back innocently. Diego turned back to his father. "Oh, I thought I might stay at the tavern tonight as well. We have some catching up to do."

"Of course, Diego," Alejandro said. "And give my regards to Victoria as well."

"Certainly." Diego wasn't sure whether that was sarcasm or a directive not to forget Victoria.

He and Ernesto took their leave and not too many minutes later were on their way to Los Angeles.

~Z~Z~Z~

As they rode, Diego glanced at his friend and said, "I trust you aren't planning to tell my father anything _too_ interesting."

"Oh, no," Ernesto said. "I know too well that if I reveal too much, you'll find an excuse to visit my father and tell him too much."

"True, though I hadn't thought about it," Diego said. "After all I'm not the one that Estevan convinced to visit that particular house of..."

"But you were with us when he managed to drag us into that den of thieves. I'm still not sure how we got out of that alive."

"And I'm still not sure why we even spoke to Estevan after that one," Diego said. "There are days I wonder how we three managed to stay friends."

"I think once we learned to distinguish between his 'brilliant' ideas and his actual good ones, it wasn't so hard to have fun with him. Although in some ways he could be the opposite of a conscience. The moment he'd try to convince us how really harmless something was we'd recognize what a bad idea it was and run like the devil was at our heels. But he wasn't vicious and we did manage to have some genuinely good times together. That bet about the flirting wasn't so bad."

Diego grimaced. "Speak for yourself." That bet is what introduced him to Zafira, and he wasn't happy remembering what a mistake he'd been saved from, especially now that he was going to marry Victoria.

Ernesto glanced at him. "Oh, yes, right. Sorry. Well, then the horse race..."

"All right, that was fun. And that was really what everything was about for him. Perhaps we stayed friends because he wouldn't let us take ourselves too seriously." Diego shrugged. "Have you heard from him recently?"

"Not recently," Ernesto replied. "Last I heard he was in Mexico City and trying to avoid his father. But enough about him, I want to know about you and Victoria Escalante. I especially want to know what was the nature of the golden apples you threw into your Atalanta's path to get her to slow down enough for you to catch her."

"Ernesto..." Diego said in a warning tone.

"Diego," Ernesto replied evenly. "You know full well I'm referring to the myth and not making any veiled implications about her wanting your money or your position. If that were the case you two would have been married within a year of your coming home. Please don't tell me it was because you were pining for Señorita Zafira, because I won't believe it. If you'll forgive me, I always thought it was embarrassment that got you started and stubbornness that kept you going, and I've also thought it was lucky she left town before you did something foolish like ask her to marry you."

Diego winced. Only Victoria and his father were aware that he actually had been engaged to her or that she'd left him waiting at the church. He'd certainly never told anyone in Spain, and he wasn't about to do that now.

"No, it wasn't Zafira. And I do forgive you, since much as it pains me to admit it, you were right; I was being stubborn," Diego said.

"Stubborn? You?" Sarcasm dripped from Ernesto's lips. "Never would have expected it. So not Zafira. And I know it can't have been your Aunt Magdalena, even if you'd ever belonged to the adoring throng that wanted to lie prostrate at her feet."

"Ernesto!" Diego was shocked. "She is my _aunt_! By marriage, it's true, but still... she acted as a mother towards me. You can't possibly think..."

"Diego, I'm not implying any salacious designs on her. You know how many students thought she was practically an angel come to earth, and those of a less worshipful disposition envied your uncle because of her complete devotion. You wouldn't be any different than any of those."

Diego glared at him. If there had ever been any truth in that remark, it was so long ago that Diego was never going to admit there was anything in it at all.

"All right, more awkward because she's family. Fine. Not worshiping some ideal figure that no mere mortal could compare with. So what took you so long?"

Diego winced again. Actually Ernesto was close to the truth though he had it backwards. It was Victoria who'd seemed to be worshiping a legend _he_ couldn't live up to. Of course, he had been a fool, and it took her to show him how much of one.

"We can talk about this later, when I can have Victoria defend me," Diego said, with a grin. "She seems happy enough with how things are. I'd rather hear about what your plan is."

"Oh, that. Simple enough. I spend the afternoon finding out what I can about the pueblo and your alcalde, and then not too long before whatever time your alcalde tends to retire for the evening, I want you to introduce me to him so I can present my credentials and let him know I'll be wanting to speak with him tomorrow morning."

"That is simple. Is it wise?" Diego asked. Was Ernesto really going to give De Soto the chance to cover up his behavior?

"Trust me, Diego," Ernesto said. "This has worked before and on cleverer men than that rotten cheat Ignacio De Soto."

Diego was about to ask, but then he remembered that Ernesto had known De Soto as well, although he'd been convinced the man had cheated his way through school rather than being naturally gifted. At the time Diego had thought he was just annoyed, but after getting to know De Soto better, he now agreed with Ernesto. De Soto _was_ a rotten cheat.

"All right, I must admit I would like to see the master at work, though I expect I'm going to have to wait until you come to dinner for a full report on your business tomorrow. Unless of course Sergeant Mendoza gets to witness some of it. He's always good for a tale."

"He's the one you told me about. Your friend, who does his best for the people under incompetent orders."

"Exactly," Diego said. "He may appear foolish, but he's got a good heart, and he has been a very good friend. Don't let appearances deceive you."

"I rarely do, Diego," Ernesto said with a grin, and pointing to his spectacles. "I've spent far too much of my life seeing things as a blur. Thank goodness, I was always able to read."

After they entered the tavern, Diego's first action was to introduce Ernesto to Victoria and arrange for both of them to stay the night. Diego was relieved to see that while Ernesto met Victoria with enthusiasm, he didn't either reveal how much he knew of Diego's earlier feelings or ask too many questions about their engagement. After that it was only a matter of introducing Ernesto to Sergeant Mendoza who was still eating his lunch. Ernesto raised his eyebrow at the traveler's tax that Mendoza sheepishly informed him of but paid it without comment, before settling down to ask him about Los Angeles.

While Ernesto was doing that, Diego took the opportunity to pull Victoria aside for a moment.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?" Victoria asked in a teasing tone of voice. "If you particularly need a chaperone to feel safe from the wiles of your fiancée..."

"Victoria..." Diego protested softly.

"I'm looking forward to learning more about your university days," she said, changing the subject lightly.

Diego shrugged. "Perhaps during siesta, if it's agreeable to everyone."

"I would enjoy that," Victoria said.

Another thought struck him forcibly, and Diego spoke quietly. "Oh, and Ernesto is very eager to know what took me so long to start courting you." At her expression, he looked a bit sheepish. "He knows that I had strong feelings for you even while I was in Madrid..." He closed his eyes, still feeling the embarrassment of his failed relationship with Zafira, "So be prepared for that, since I didn't have time to tell him much of anything, including..."

"Former suitors in black masks and capes?" Victoria finished with a smile. "Don't worry, Diego, I can handle questions well enough, and I was expecting something of the sort in any case."

"I know, querida," Diego replied. "It's just that Ernesto can be a bit... abrupt, and I just didn't want you to be taken off guard."

"Oh, I'm quite used to abrupt people, my love," Victoria said.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria finally closed the tavern after lunch, only Diego and Ernesto remaining. At her invitation the three of them went to sit in her parlor, which Diego reflected was seeing more use in two days than it had in the last month.

Sitting down on the sofa, Victoria looked up at him with a smile, and he sat next to her while Ernesto took a nearby chair. Diego wondered if he could manage to get Ernesto to tell him a bit more about his plans, but then he saw the look in Ernesto's eye and realized he wasn't about to get his wish.

Ernesto looked at the pair of them, but then focused on Diego. "So now that you have your fiancée here to defend you, I want to know what took you so long to start courting her."

Victoria's eyes shot to Diego's face. "Did you really say you needed me to defend you?"

When did he lose his ability to speak properly? "In a manner of speaking, yes. I was a very foolish man."

"Not so very foolish," Victoria said. "But a little too inclined to undervalue your own ability to compete for my attention."

"And this would be the bandit Zorro I've heard so much about?" Ernesto asked. "You know many of the stories about him revolve around his love for a beautiful tavern owner."

Diego had to keep himself from wincing at yet another example of the consequences of his lack of foresight as Zorro. While the people of Los Angeles seemed to have taken Victoria and Diego's courtship and romance in stride and accepted that whatever had been between Zorro and her was over, the legends outside of Los Angeles had not caught up with the facts, and it pained Diego to realize what he had done. At least, everyone knew that Zorro would defend Victoria even if they were no longer romantically linked. He hated the complications he'd managed to introduce into his family's lives. He wondered what he should say, but it was Victoria who answered first.

"And they are exaggerated," Victoria said with complete equanimity. "Zorro is a great hero to the people and a truly courteous man. He also rescued me on more than one occasion for which I'm very grateful." She glanced at Diego. "And Diego here seemed very content to treat me only as a friend for quite some time."

"You did seem to prefer men of action."

"You act in a very different way, a more peaceful way, that's just as important as any action," Victoria insisted. She looked over at Ernesto. "It doesn't matter too much now. It may have taken some time and the intervention of a matchmaker, but we did figure out we loved each other."

Ernesto shifted to look at Diego. "Matchmaker?" he asked. "Not your father?"

Diego shook his head. "No, though I think he probably wishes he'd gotten the idea right after I arrived home, as he's always cared for Victoria as if she were a daughter. The matchmaker in question was Doña Maria Estevez, a woman whose greatest pleasure seems to be in matching up people whether they like or not," he said, trying and failing to keep his irritation out of his voice.

"And it was because she was after you that made you speak?" Ernesto inquired.

"No," Victoria said. "She was trying to find _me_ a husband, and beyond having dreadful taste in potential suitors, she thought Diego was a hopelessly confirmed bachelor."

"So that's finally made you speak up?" Ernesto asked Diego.

"I'm afraid so. The thought of losing her to Zorro was bad enough, but I don't think I could have stomached losing her to Don Pablo." Diego smiled as Victoria shuddered.

"That would _not_ have happened," she said, then to Ernesto. "He played the guitar badly, sang worse, and couldn't take a hint."

"I think I might have shared that last characteristic," Diego replied. "I'm very lucky you were willing to let me court you after all the mistakes I'd made."

"I'd rather be happy than hold a grudge," Victoria said.

Diego smiled at her. That's something that had taken him a while to understand. She had a quick temper, but she really wasn't one to hold on to that anger for long. Looking into her eyes, he wished his friend was anywhere but in this room so that he could kiss her the way he wanted to. Since he was in the room, Diego kissed her hand instead, keeping his attention focused on her.

Ernesto cleared his throat, and Diego turned his head towards him. "Diego, I know you'll take it in the spirit I intend when I say, 'I told you so.' In fact I'm a little envious." He shifted forward to speak to Victoria. "I know you don't have a sister, Señorita Escalante, but perhaps a cousin or a young aunt, or maybe a good friend who doesn't mind a man who spends most of his time in books."

"I'm afraid I can't think of anyone at the moment," Victoria said. "However, now that I've got you here I'd love to know a little bit about Diego's university days. He's never really talked much about them."

"I see he hasn't changed much. He's always enjoyed talking but not about himself," Ernesto said. "Diego, are you still playing the game?"

"What game?" Victoria asked.

Diego tried not to sigh. "It's something that Ernesto and I used to do at some of the social gatherings we got dragged into."

"Yes, you see even though we were Californians we both have family in Spain, and in some cases quite prominent family, so we tended to get dragged into more social events than we liked. Or rather I think Diego's family dragged him, and he dragged me so that he wouldn't be alone in his misery."

"I'd say that Aunt Magdalena encouraged and Uncle Cecilio pleaded. He didn't like them any more than we did."

"That is probably more accurate. But to the point, we both hated the attention we got. Diego hated that it was mostly because of his status as heir and his family connections. I hated it because even though I'm the fourth born son of my family only my eldest brother had already married and the other two had managed to avoid being formerly betrothed at the time. In any event, we'd get cornered quite a lot at any social gathering, and there was an annoying tendency for the conversation to turn too personal for either of our likings. So we started up a game to see who could most quickly and politely get whoever was being most annoying to leave us alone. Diego won most often as his knowledge of arcane and somewhat tedious facts was much greater than my own, and he was politer as well." Ernesto shook his head.

"Of course, Diego is nothing if not polite," Victoria replied.

Ernesto glanced at Diego as if contemplating mentioning one of those times when politeness hadn't been an option, but Diego shook his head slightly with a look that he hoped told Ernesto that friendship or not, he'd retaliate with one of Ernesto's more embarrassing adventures, and he had a few that had nothing to do with Diego. Estevan had always had an easier time getting Ernesto to go along with his plans than Diego. Odd, when Ernesto could be as immovable as a mountain when it came to some things.

"You know, Diego, there has been something else I've been wondering about," Ernesto said. "Zorro. Is he really the sword master he's supposed to be? Or is that another exaggeration?" His eyes shifted to Victoria and back to Diego. "Would you say that he was better than Sir Edmund's star pupil?"

Diego worked to appear only thoughtful. He knew that Ernesto wouldn't betray him, but..."It's hard to say. Zorro hasn't had to face too many truly skilled swordsmen. However, he did defeat Sir Miles Thackeray and Colonel Palomarez rather handily. I'm not sure if you're familiar with their reputations."

"I believe so; they both had the reputation of masters. But you didn't answer my last question."

Diego sighed and hoped he looked properly rueful. "I'd have to say that he is, as I'm afraid the man in question has allowed his skills to get somewhat rusty over the past few years. Too many other things to do. Zorro has been fighting the whole time and has a few tricks that I don't think Sir Edmund ever taught." As he spoke he was grateful that Ernesto wouldn't be staying long as he didn't want to give him the opportunity to suggest any kind of swordplay to see how rusty Diego had gotten. Diego wasn't sure he could figure out the proper balance there.

"Don Ernesto," Victoria interjected. "I think you're deliberately trying to change the subject. You're as bad as Diego. Now, if you please, sir, I'd like to hear a little more about Diego's university days." Victoria squeezed Diego's hand comfortingly as she spoke.

Ernesto smiled and launched into an account of his and Diego's first days in Spain, much to Diego's relief, as while there were more than a few mishaps and embarrassments for both of them in those days, they were more of a mild and amusing rather than humiliating quality. Also, it was enough to divert Ernesto thoroughly from the topic of Zorro and got Victoria what she wanted. Even better, it occupied their time until the end of siesta.


	17. An Officer and a Gentleman (After Silk Purses and Sows Ears) Part 3

Once people started drifting into the tavern in the late afternoon, Ernesto sat in a quiet corner simply listening and observing. Diego left him to it and spent a little time talking with Victoria before going over to the newspaper office to do a little work there as well. He waited until about twenty minutes after he saw De Soto enter the tavern before heading over there. He had no great desire to see the alcalde again, especially as he'd have to be polite and oblivious.

As he was crossing the plaza, he was starting to think that while up to a point he did enjoy the adventure and the danger of being Zorro, the one thing he liked best was the ability to say exactly what he thought with a directness that he'd rarely ever exercised without a mask, even before he needed a disguise. There was a certain amount of freedom in anonymity. While he'd managed to play with and manipulate De Soto often as himself, there was an exhilaration in being straightforward and undisguised in his opinions. Ironic that he had to wear a mask to enjoy that freedom.

He sighed slightly as he entered the tavern. De Soto was sitting in his usual spot, back to the door. Diego often wondered why the man did that. He'd thought that the man's paranoia would cause him to keep his back to the wall and facing the door. Diego didn't think he'd ever understand the alcalde. He was an ambitious man with a twisted maze of a mind; sometimes he was easy to predict, other times he'd go off on unexpected tangents. Diego made his way quietly over to Ernesto.

"I take it you've seen the alcalde," he said quietly.

"Yes, but I don't want to draw attention to myself yet," Ernesto whispered. "However, it would be useful if you went and talked to him. I'd like to take his measure a little."

Diego thought he understood what Ernesto was after, and while not entirely in the right frame of mind, he was willing enough. He crossed the room to where De Soto had just started his dinner.

"Buenas tardes, alcalde," he said politely.

"De la Vega," De Soto said with bare politeness. He spared a glance around the tavern. "Your father not with you today?" He returned to his plate.

"No, I'm afraid not," Diego said flatly. "He's been busy."

De Soto grinned slightly. "I'm sure he has," he said smugly. "It's a wonder he was so ready to sacrifice his heir on a wager when there's so much to be done."

Diego forced himself to remain outwardly calm, mainly by thinking about what he would do to De Soto the next time he had to face him as Zorro. "My father has always been a confident man," he replied.

"Overconfident," De Soto said, before his attention seemed to drift across the room.

_A trait you both share_ , Diego didn't say. He followed De Soto's gaze and realized that it was Victoria that the man was looking at. He didn't mind the look so much, but there was a contempt behind it that angered Diego.

De Soto shifted his focus back. "You seemed to have been spared that trait," he said.

_You have no idea how wrong you are._ "I have my own set of weaknesses," Diego said with intentional mildness.

De Soto laughed loudly. "That is for certain. That's why despite winning, I wouldn't have you as a lancer. Though it was worth it to get your father to stop bothering me about that sales tax."

"I bow to your cunning," Diego said. He glanced over to Ernesto, who nodded slightly. Apparently, Ernesto didn't need much to get his opinion. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

De Soto simply inclined his head. Diego returned to Ernesto's table. "That wasn't much," he said.

"All I needed really. After all, I saw him when he came in," Ernesto replied. "I think we'll follow him across to his office when he returns. It will be better for me to present my credentials in private."

"I see," Diego said. Ernesto had his own way of doing things.

~Z~Z~Z~

True to his word, Ernesto didn't make a move until after De Soto had left the tavern and returned to his office. The moment they saw the door shut they crossed the plaza.

De Soto looked up at the two men from his desk after they entered the office. "Well, what can I do for you?"

"Alcalde, my friend, Ernesto Moraga, here asked me to bring him over to meet you, so he could present his credentials to you."

"Credentials?" De Soto asked blankly.

"Yes," Ernesto said. "I'm here on business that requires your cooperation. If I may?" He took his papers from his pocket and put them on the desk.

De Soto picked them up and started glancing through them. "Moraga," he said absently. "That sounds familiar."

Ernesto looked bored. "Well, you might be thinking of my elder brother Julián whose father-in-law is the minister who deals with colonial appointments, and he's following that career path himself. I imagine his name might appear on your official orders somewhere. Or you could be thinking of my father Don Gregorio who was a close advisor to my uncle the previous governor Don Antonio Ontiveros." Diego noticed De Soto's eyes widen at the names. Ernesto turned to Diego. "Speaking of my uncle, I believe I forgot to tell you that he holds up your newspaper as the perfect example of what he wanted when he started the project. He admires the breadth of its information as well as the scrupulous attention to detail as well as its regular publication. Too many other pueblos have abandoned the effort altogether, or if they do publish it is all puff with the occasional announcement of new taxes or other community events."

Diego was surprised. _The Guardian_ was very close to his heart; it let him to some extent do with words what Zorro did with his sword. He knew it was useful; he had on more than one occasion managed to check some of the excesses of the alcaldes. However, he didn't think anyone outside of the pueblo had ever paid any attention to it.

"I'm glad to hear that news of our pueblo manages to travel," Diego said. "Aren't you, Ignacio?"

De Soto looked more than a bit alarmed, though he was clearly trying to appear unconcerned. "Of course. Especially when praised in such high terms," he said. "These papers seem in order, sir, but I'm afraid I don't understand your purpose in visiting our pueblo."

Ernesto took back the documents and put them in his pocket. "Oh, I thought I'd already made that clear. Forgive me," he said, in the blandest tone possible. "You cannot be unaware of the many revenue issues that have been concerning the governor. I believe that Captain Dominguez may have made mention of them in addition to his primary concern about the staffing of the garrison."

"Oh, yes, of course," De Soto said.

"Good. Then it should not surprise you that I have been sent to conduct a preliminary inquiry on the state of the various pueblos finances and the ways in which revenues are being collected." De Soto couldn't hide the look of alarm then, but Ernesto ignored it. "I have heard that you have implemented some innovative tax measures, and if they are all that reports make of them I will be quite pleased to inform the governor with my own recommendations on the subject."

De Soto's alarm decreased slightly as he tried to decipher just what it was that Ernesto was telling him, though Diego understood Ernesto completely. However, after a moment De Soto relaxed slightly, taking only the most positive view of what Ernesto was saying to him.

"Yes, well, this has been a troublesome pueblo, and I have been doing my best to do my duty."

"Of course," Ernesto said with the same bland nearly bored tone. "In any event, tomorrow morning I expect to see all the relevant records and statutes for evaluation. I have a limited time, so I'll need you to be prepared to spend much of the day on this review."

"Certainly," De Soto said, not looking entirely unlike a cornered rabbit with no avenue of escape.

"Good, since we understand one another, I'll leave you to see about getting the records together and will see you tomorrow morning."

"I'm sure you'll find everything in order," De Soto said, his attention now shifting around them room.

"I'm sure I shall," Ernesto replied. "Let's go, Diego." He turned and headed to the door without another word.

"Buenas noches," Diego said to an oblivious De Soto before turning to leave himself.

As he and Ernesto crossed the plaza, Diego said, "So this is how you operate?"

"When I'm in a hurry and I have a friend who wants help," Ernesto said. "Now you know he's going to be spending the evening desperately trying to figure out the best way to impress me. And yes, I know he's going to hide things, but if, as you say, he's proud of the sales tax, he'll try to impress me with that. The side benefit is that he's going to get very little sleep before I appear in the morning, which will make my task so much simpler."

"I bow to your experience," Diego said, as they paused outside the tavern.

"As well you should," Ernesto said with a wicked grin. "After all, _this_ is my field of expertise. The most enjoyable bit will be tomorrow where I get to sift the fiction from the nonfiction."

Diego smiled back. "No wonder the governor prefers you to work outside of Monterey."

"An unfortunate truth," Ernesto said, "but I still do what I can, and it's usually very effective." He glanced back at the alcalde's office. "Especially with rotten cheats."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria locked the tavern doors, leaving her and Diego alone downstairs. Ernesto had already gone up to his room saying that he wanted to be well prepared for the morning.

As she turned around, Victoria smiled at Diego who was standing very close to her. "With our chaperone upstairs, are you still brave enough to stay?" she teased.

Victoria never seemed afraid of playing with fire. Diego leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Precious, it has nothing to do with fear, and everything to do with temptation."

He reached for her face, letting his fingers trace a course from her temple down to her lips. Kissing her ear, he moved to kiss her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and her chin, before pausing an inch from her lips. He looked at her half closed eyes with a slight smirk before straightening up. Victoria's eyes snapped open.

"Diego..." she started.

He put on an innocent expression. "I was thinking. With all the frustrations of the past week and the work to get Mendoza ready, there was one thing that I enjoyed very much," he said.

"And what was that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Dancing with you," he answered.

Victoria looked at him for a moment. "It was nice," she finally said.

"Just nice?" he asked.

"Well," Victoria said, " _we_ only danced briefly."

"We should correct that." Stepping back, he took her hand and with a grin said, "Señorita Escalante, would you grace your humble servant with a dance?"

Victoria giggled, but with a curtsey replied, "It would be my pleasure."

Diego took her in his arms, and they began to dance around the main room of the tavern. Music or not, Victoria followed his lead perfectly, but then she was always perfect. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him as they spun around. He wished they had more excuses to dance, but opportunities seemed few and far between. After several turns around the room, Diego finally ended the dance, and then stepped back to kiss Victoria's hand with all the grace he'd ever employed as Zorro.

With a smile, Victoria said, "Now _that_ is my favorite part."

Stepping in closer, Diego said, "Mine is always holding you in my arms." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

As he started to straighten up, Victoria wrapped one arm around his neck and kissed him soundly on the lips. He quickly returned the kiss despite his best intentions. Why did he think this was a good idea? Especially since he knew full well that Ernesto had very selective hearing when he was asleep and very little except a direct threat seemed to wake him. Some minutes later, he reluctantly released her. "I should get some sleep myself," he said, thinking it would not be a good idea to stay downstairs with her much longer. "Do you know if you can come to dinner tomorrow night?"

Victoria played lightly with the collar of his shirt as she looked at him. "Yes," she said. "It's no problem." She glanced up the stairs. "Do you really think your friend can help us?"

"Yes, I do," he said. "While I doubt we'll be rid of our alcalde any time soon, I think he'll manage to help us with our current problem. What do you think of him?"

Victoria looked reflective. "He does seem exactly the kind of friend I'd expect you to have."

Thinking she was referring to his public persona, Diego said, "An intellectual with a fondness for books?"

"No," Victoria said. "A man with hidden depths." She pulled him down for another kiss.

This was not fair. Diego drew back to kiss her on her forehead. "I think we both need our sleep, querida."

"I suppose," Victoria said reluctantly.

"I'll help with the candles," he said.

There was a certain pleasure in helping Victoria finish up her chores. He even risked walking to her door and managed to kiss her good night without it getting out of hand.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego had never really been a naturally early riser, though by force of discipline he'd managed it for years. He also tended to not be particularly cheerful or talkative until he'd at least gotten some breakfast. In one respect, Zorro had helped him by giving him the excuse to sleep his more preferred hours. Ernesto was his opposite in that respect, and it was lucky that they'd managed to come up with a workable compromise on the voyage to Spain or one of them probably wouldn't have made it there alive.

Waking slightly as he heard doors opening and closing, Diego had cracked open an eye to see that it was not far past dawn. He knew that Ernesto intended to descend on the alcalde very early, and while he would love to see that meeting and planned some time during the day to do a little eavesdropping, he knew that it would be counterproductive to follow Ernesto now, so instead let himself fall back to sleep. After all, he still had his reputation to maintain and sleep to catch up on.

Much later, Diego made his way downstairs into the main room of the tavern, and then into the kitchen where Victoria was cutting vegetables.

Victoria smiled at him. "I see some things don't change," she said in a teasing tone. "You are still a late riser."

"I'm afraid so," Diego said, firmly stomping down on the urge to say that once they were married he'd be happy to wake early if only she'd be content to stay in bed late. It was getting harder to keep control of his wayward thoughts, and there were still six months to go until the wedding. With determination he focused on the matter of current importance. "Can you tell me when Ernesto left this morning?"

"It couldn't have been later than seven," Victoria replied. "He left right after he ate and headed straight for the alcalde's office."

"Any sign of Mendoza?"

"He did have breakfast rather quickly a while ago. I think the alcalde wanted him available— for what, he didn't seem certain."

"Any other news from that quarter?" Diego asked.

"Not really. Are you expecting anything in particular?"

"I couldn't say. I've never seen Ernesto in action. Well, not for a job such as this," Diego said. "I have seen what he's capable of when he's in the mood to put someone in his place, and he never did like Ignacio."

Victoria laughed. "He shows very good taste— in friends and enemies."

"I'm glad you approve," Diego said. "I think I'm going to take a walk across the plaza and see."

"Not until you eat," Victoria said.

With a cheeky grin, Diego grabbed a roll from a basket, before disappearing out the door.

~Z~Z~Z~

After taking his time to observe and to make his actions seem as casual as possible, Diego stood outside the side window of the alcalde's office and looked inside. Ernesto was sitting in De Soto's chair with record books and papers piled high on the desk in front of him. De Soto was sitting in the chair across from the desk trying to look unconcerned as Ernesto looked through records and made notes in silence. Diego wondered how long Ernesto had been sitting there. He certainly intended to get every detail from him once they were away from the pueblo.

De Soto stood up and leaned over the desk in order to see what Ernesto was currently reviewing. "Now, I must remind you that many of these taxes were put into place by my predecessor."

"I understand that," Ernesto replied dismissively not even bothering to look up as he moved the current paper to the side. "That's not particularly relevant to my inquiries at the moment."

"You should understand that this pueblo was in a very poor condition before I took over," De Soto said.

"You've already mentioned that," Ernesto said. "Right now all I am is cataloging and evaluating the various taxes. It's not necessary to have an explanation of the origins— as yet." Ernesto looked up for a moment, giving a cursory glance at De Soto before looking out the window, clearly spotting Diego who stepped back in case De Soto turned to look as well. There was silence for a few moments. "However, I suppose we can go over a few of these."

Diego ventured to peak into the window again. Ernesto was pulling out a few papers. "I see that there's been a recently instituted sales tax on the farmers."

"Yes, with the shortage of funds, I've been forced to find more innovative means of acquiring revenue."

Ernesto nodded slightly. "This is innovative; however, it is also illegal to tax the product of farm labor throughout the Spanish Empire. How do you justify this?"

There was another a long pause. Finally, De Soto spoke, "Desperate times require desperate measures. Captain Dominguez, who was here representing the governor, was impressed with the results."

Diego noticed that De Soto left out the part where Zorro confiscated the tax to return to the people it was taken from.

Ernesto leaned back in his chair and spoke easily with a condescension that Diego hadn't quite realized he had in him. "Captain Dominguez, like you, is a military man. His assigned duty was to deal with staffing issues. That was his sole purview, as I'm afraid he tends to be unaware of many of the political ramifications that surround such illegal taxation. With Mexico threatening independence, the governor doesn't want to foment rebellion within California by ignoring Spanish law. Especially with any tax that tends to undermine the productivity of the people, thus insuring a reduction in revenue and perpetuating a cycle of ever diminishing resources." There was a significant pause. "The governor is not inclined to regard kindly anyone who does not stick to the law when attempting to increase revenue. I'm sure you understand, Captain."

Diego leaned slightly further. He could only really see the back of De Soto's head.

After a moment, De Soto said, "Of course."

"Good, now if you please, I would like to continue my review." Ernesto looked toward the window for a brief moment, a slight smile on his face.

Moving away, Diego was very pleased to have been able to witness that exchange, knowing that Ernesto had deliberately dealt with it while Diego was there. And that was their main problem solved for now; he hoped. Now it was just a question of waiting for evening in order to find out what else Ernesto might have concluded. Diego tried not to dwell on the thought that he'd far rather have his father be interested in what Ernesto did today than any stories Ernesto might share about their school days.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego was in his room, changing before dinner. Ernesto had finished his work in the alcalde's office by the afternoon, but he refused to talk about any of the details while in the pueblo, though it was clear that for the moment that De Soto was a thoroughly cowed man. Despite some reservations and knowing that Ernesto would be leaving within the next day or so, Diego had invited Ernesto to stay at the hacienda now, and Ernesto agreed.

He was even happier that Victoria had also agreed to spend the night after dinner, since they were stealing her one overnight guest. He felt more secure knowing that Victoria would be there with them, willing and able to provide distractions if things got awkward. That of course was in addition to the fact that he was always happy when she agreed to stay in her future home. There was also the bonus that it was easier to deal with temptation when there was the real possibility of his father suddenly appearing.

He also had managed on the way back to the hacienda with Ernesto and Victoria to tell Ernesto that his father for some reason had assumed that he had never completed his studies with Sir Edmund and that he'd let him continue with that assumption for everyone's safety. He explained that the previous alcalde was an altogether more vicious man who if he'd thought Diego was a physical threat would have taken steps to eliminate him. As it was he had managed to take more peaceful measures without being suspected. Ernesto merely nodded, as if he found nothing suspicious in Diego keeping such a secret from his father.

Looking at his friend at that moment, Diego realized that Ernesto probably knew full well the real reason why he hid things from his father much less other people. After all, despite their friendship and extensive correspondence, Diego had not only never before invited Ernesto to visit Los Angeles but had also found excuses to discourage the idea. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Diego felt he had something to hide or to properly extrapolate what that something was. But very much as he always did, Ernesto was letting him know by acting as if oddities were commonplace.

Dinner passed well enough, as Alejandro spent almost the entire time listening to Ernesto's account of his morning's work. "There are a great many irregularities in the taxes here. More than I can possibly deal with on a single visit. Most seem to pre-date the current alcalde, a fact he was eager to point out himself, after which I pointed out that it behooved him to go through said taxes for their legalities, as the governor has lost patience with the poor regulation of the revenue system. I definitely pointed out with great explicitness that a sales tax which targets the products of farm labor is illegal and perhaps the quickest way to draw down the wrath of the governor who's been trying to find ways to encourage farming, as California needs a greater level of self-sufficiency. After a lengthy lecture on the governor's objectives and the debilitating effect of such taxes on farmers, De Soto was quick to rescind the tax for the good of the pueblo."

"And his career," Don Alejandro chuckled, before looking down to his son. "Ha, even when he wins De Soto loses, and the pueblo gets a win."

_And Mendoza still loses_ , Diego thought bitterly, hand tightening on his glass as he struggled to bury his sudden anger. _Though he might have lost anyway, as De Soto had already planted the seed before the bet, but my father seems to have forgotten it entirely._

"I'm glad to be of assistance," Ernesto replied. "Though the credit goes to Diego for giving me such a detailed account and inviting me here when he did. It is far harder to deal with a tax once it's become entrenched, too much inertia and too many corrupt representatives giving contrary orders."

"We've seen enough of that recently," Alejandro said.

"And you'll probably see it again," Ernesto replied cynically. "But if you're fortunate, it won't be too soon, and perhaps, De Soto will be too unwilling to risk offending someone whose brother could effectively crush his career to create anymore illegal or arbitrary taxes. Unfortunately, I don't think I can do anything about anything outside that field, though I can recommend someone review his performance, but I'm sure you know how unlikely it is that something will come of it."

"I'm afraid we do," Diego said. _A moratorium on new taxes would take a burden off of us, but it doesn't stop De Soto from dispensing arbitrary justice. Nevertheless, it is easier for Zorro to ride to save an innocent than deal with tax collectors._ "However, that makes us the more grateful for the help we get." Diego also thought about the pleasure it was to see his old friend. He'd cut himself off from so much of his past out of necessity that he felt an almost overwhelming relief to find it wasn't quite as necessary as he'd long thought.

"Well, this job I enjoyed more than most," Ernesto said. "You know I always said that Ignacio De Soto was overrated as a student."

"True," Diego replied. "You were always suspicious of his good marks."

"And you were as always too willing to think the best of him."

"My son is nothing if not optimistic," Alejandro said.

_Not particularly today, even if I should be,_ Diego thought but kept silent.

"Diego's optimism is one of the things I love about him," Victoria said, though Diego got the impression she knew exactly what he was thinking. "He's always had that."

"I wouldn't say that," Diego finally said. "But I do try to look on the bright side whenever possibly. And, Ernesto, you have made things a bit brighter for Los Angeles."

"It's been a pleasant visit," Ernesto said. "I've gotten to see my old friend, meet the beauteous Señorita Escalante, and deal a few blows to Ignacio De Soto. I couldn't ask for anything better, except perhaps for more time."

"You must come back soon," Alejandro said. "For the wedding at least."

Diego looked at his friend. "Certainly, we still have much catching up to do, and I do know that there will be some single ladies at the wedding. Who knows? You might meet your destiny. And even if you don't, you should find something to entertain you."

Ernesto smiled. "I think I might, and I certainly will come if possible. Though I get the impression I might have to find a barn to sleep in with all the potential guests already invited."

"I'm sure we can find a corner for you," Diego said with a laugh.

"We can do better than that," Alejandro said. "I've already got plans in place, and of course, any friend of Diego's is more than welcome."

"I will do my best," Ernesto said.

Alejandro smiled and then chuckled. "I'm sorry. I still can't get over De Soto being conquered by the pen rather than the sword this time."

"Oh, I can," Victoria said. "I've come to appreciate that it's more of a challenge, but it can be far more satisfying when it works." She looked at Diego.

"I've always thought so," he said.

"But there's something to be said for seeing De Soto fall head first into a barrel," Alejandro said, a broad smile on his face. "That's a sight I'll treasure for a long time."

Diego had thought it funny himself, but sometimes he had to wonder if the pleasure he took in humiliating the alcalde was doing more harm than good. Was his joy at his ability to be so brash and mischievous really worth raising the alcalde's ire and obsession with catching him?

"I think I'd prefer to see the back of our alcalde riding out of Los Angeles forever," Victoria said, " _if_ we could guarantee a better man in his place."

"It wouldn't take much," Alejandro murmured.

Ernesto spoke up. "With the political turmoil in Mexico and Spain, there is a possibility that this alcalde will be the last Spanish appointee, and with much of the bureaucratic tangles in Monterey, I think it wouldn't be too difficult to suggest more local appointments..."

"Do you really think so?" Diego asked. In his letters, Ernesto had hinted at such an outcome, but of course, he'd had to be very circumspect in his suggestions in case his letters fell into the wrong hands.

"Yes, I do," Ernesto replied. He looked at Don Alejandro. "I hope you don't think me presumptuous, sir, but I feel I must say it." He took a deep breath. "I know Los Angeles is under the protection of Zorro. There's few who do not. However, there is trouble brewing throughout California, and I think the people of your pueblo need to be prepared for it because there may come a time when there won't be any outside help. And in fact, I think the people need to be prepared for a possible period of increased lawlessness..."

"And you're saying that we need to be prepared to defend ourselves and not let one man continue to do our fighting for us," Victoria broke in. Diego repressed a smile. He'd heard her say it often enough in frustration.

"One man isn't an army; even a legend can be killed," Ernesto agreed. "But I also think that you need to be prepared to govern yourselves for a time."

Alejandro nodded his head. "We've become a bit complacent, but with the news we've been getting... ." Diego could see the wheels turning in his father's head. "You know, I might finally be able to get the support from the caballeros I've been looking for. We do need to be willing to band together."

Diego remained silent. Between his agreement that he'd be hard-pressed to take on an entire army and his frustration with the general passivity of the populace and the caballeros who should at least take more responsibility for protecting themselves and their people, he felt that he'd reveal too much if he said a word. He was glad to see his father look determined, though he knew that Alejandro had tried to work on a unified front with the most prominent citizens only to have them do nothing once the alcalde put the pressure on. But perhaps, now he might find a few more willing ears. He started sifting through ideas for newspaper articles that could help. He'd have to be subtle, but he was tired of wearing a mask. However, he knew that it would be his father was the one with the influence, even if it had done little for them over the years.

Diego looked over at Victoria and smiled. She too was an influence in her own right. As the owner of the town's only public meeting place, she was in the center of things, and she would not blindly accept injustice. While he was grateful that she'd learned to stop and reflect before acting, he was more grateful that her discovering his secret hadn't made her change, the way he'd had to change. He really should let her know how much he appreciated that.

Dinner finished up without any incident, and after dinner, Diego walked Victoria to the door of her room, which was quite far from his own. While sometimes he wondered if his father realized just how much he was in love, this was the only sign that his father didn't quite trust him to have her sleeping too close. Of course, Diego wasn't sure if he trusted himself with her sleeping too close, so he certainly couldn't complain. Victoria turned in front of the door and looked up at him. Beautiful as she was, he was once again reminded of how very fortunate he was.

"Thank you," he said, simply.

"For what?" she asked.

He raised a hand to trail his fingers down her face. "For always being you, even when I cannot be myself," he whispered. Cradling her cheeks in his hands, he leaned forward and kissed her softly and gently. "I love you, Victoria."

"And I love you, Diego," she whispered back. "No matter how you appear to be, you are always the man that holds my heart."

The next kiss lasted some time, and Diego was glad his father didn't see it or he'd probably not let them stay under the same roof until the day they were married.

"Sleep well, _mi querida_ ," Diego said softly.

"I think we'll all sleep a little better knowing our alcalde will be watching his step, for a while at least."

"And all without Zorro. Maybe the pueblo can learn to live without the legend."

"I hope so." Victoria smiled and gently kissed Diego once more. "I much prefer the man."

~Z~Z~Z~

Mid-morning the next day, Mateo arrived at the de la Vega hacienda, driving the cart. Ernesto checked over the contents of one of the boxes. Diego had just returned from the pueblo after taking Victoria back to the tavern.

"Leaving already?" he asked Ernesto, as he walked up to the wagon. Looking up at Mateo which was always a disconcerting experience for him, Diego said, "Buenos días. I trust you had an easy trip."

Mateo merely inclined his head with a slight smile. He was a man of few words.

Ernesto closed up the box and exited the cart. "I'm afraid so. Lucio and Graciana are expecting me, and as she's well... let's just say I expect to be an uncle again some time in the new year. Anyway, I'm taking a plethora of gifts from the family. Hence Mateo and the wagon."

"Well, safe journey," Diego said. "I look forward to seeing you again for a longer visit."

Ernesto looked at him with calculation. "I look forward to it too. Maybe the two of can find a quiet spot so I can find out just how rusty you've gotten."

Diego smiled slightly. For some reason, this no longer worried him. "And I can see if you've managed to remember which end of the sword you're supposed to hold."

Ernesto glared. "Just be glad I did something."

"Oh, I am. But it could have gone better," Diego said.

"Certainly, but it wouldn't have been nearly so funny," Ernesto replied. He mounted his own horse which stood near the cart, while Mateo in silence climbed onto the seat. "In any event, I have a feeling that when I return, you'll be too busy with a certain lady to want to do any such thing."

"We can always invite her to watch," Diego said, then paused thoughtfully. "If we can manage to get her away from the ladies of my family. I'm afraid that once they're here I won't be seeing much of her until the wedding."

"I'm sure you'll manage something," Ernesto said, pushing his glasses up on his nose and adjusting his hat. "Until we meet again, Diego."

"Until then," Diego replied. He watched as Ernesto and the wagon pulled away heading south. It had been good to see his friend again and a pleasure to know he could count on him to be the honest man he'd always been. He was even looking forward to getting an opportunity to see him again. He hoped that his father's new determination to get the caballeros more involved in the security of the pueblo would mean less work for Zorro, and perhaps allow for Diego to let his father know who he was without endangering him. He could only hope.

But that had gotten him this far, hadn't it?

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeling a little overwhelmed with what I was doing, I was going to skip this one entirely, but then I realized that Diego would have good reason to be upset with his father and that the events of this episode would tie in nicely with the themes of the last two stories.
> 
> In my mind, "Silk Purses and Sow's Ears" really highlighted every one of Alejandro's worst characteristics. His pride, his temper, his impulsiveness. I was going to skip this episode until I realized that this episode highlighted all the reasons, above and beyond protecting his father, why Diego wouldn't want his father to know his secret. And originally that was all this story was going to be about, but obviously it got away from me. I wanted this to be about one thing, but Diego apparently preferred to spend time with Victoria, and things spiraled from there. I don't think I've ever lost control of a story in quite the way I've done this one. I'm sorry if the ending's weak or feels rushed, but I'm afraid I was getting quite desperate to get it to end. 
> 
> I'm probably taking some liberties with the floor plan of Victoria's tavern, but since it's her home as well as her business, I'm making the assumption that she'd have at least one private sitting room with comfortable furniture for her own use. Besides, I'm getting hard pressed to think what an engaged couple can do in Los Angeles, and spending an afternoon cuddling on a sofa seemed like a good idea.
> 
> About Ernesto's spectacles. As a glasses wearing person myself, I did a little research to see what kind of spectacles would be available at the time. I was fascinated to discover that rigid sidearms for spectacles date to around 1727 though they took a while to catch on and that in Spain there was a fashion for using weighted ribbons over the ears. I figured that with Diego's scientific interests and Ernesto's desire for comfortable fit (as he needs something more stable than a quizzing glass) that they'd go for the more comfortable design. Now, I did do only a bare minimum of research and expect that Ernesto's temple spectacles are probably still somewhat anachronistic, but I still wanted him to have glasses, and as they're barely mentioned, it seems like I'm making a mountain out of molehill over the issue.
> 
> Also, I hope that Ernesto comes off well, as I think he's the first major non family member original character that I introduced, and I've become rather fond of him. For some reason, I find it more intimidating to introduce friends than relatives, but I thought Diego needed a friend from outside Los Angeles that he could trust. 
> 
> Next Up: "A Woman Scorned." 
> 
> And here is where I skip "Miracle of the Pueblo" entirely which would have been next. Trust me: you don't want me to do a Christmas story; I like so few of them, and I really didn't like this one. Let's just assume this happens, though there would be some slight changes to events (I think I'd prefer to have a delirious Mendoza or Diego dream the whole thing but I'm not going to do that), but I am not going to refer to Señor and Señora Jones at all in upcoming stories.


	18. Hell Hath No Fury (A Woman Scorned) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wicked women are a particular challenge for Zorro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A Woman Scorned" was written by Philip John Taylor.
> 
> Also, my husband finally has an AO3 account; thus I've added him as co-creator as he's done more than than simple beta work on this story.

Zorro leaned back lazily in the chair, sombrero pulled down over his eyes. De Soto was too busy condemning another innocent man to death to pay any attention to an apparently sleeping peasant. Would De Soto never learn that justice should move slowly? He was getting tired of having to stop the man from making unforgivable mistakes.

De Soto said, "Jacinto Santana, you've been found guilty of murder. Confess. It will ease your soul."

"How can I confess to something I did not do?" the young man asked.

Laughing contemptuously, De Soto said, "As you wish."

Did De Soto really believe that the authorities in San Diego would thank him for executing the son of their alcalde without a proper trial? As De Soto got his men ready to fire, right on cue Toronado came riding into town, the dummy he'd placed on his back earlier drawing their fire, making it easy for him to deal with them and free Santana.

Zorro told him, "Wait for me on the outskirts of town. We'll need to hide you until the real murderer is found."

"Gracias, Zorro."

" _Vaya con Dios_ ," Zorro said, as the young man ran.

As townspeople begin to gather in the plaza. Zorro unsheathed his saber to deal with the lancers who now came at him. As soon as he'd finished with them, Zorro ran to Toronado, hopping onto his back and tossing the dummy from the saddle before riding over to De Soto.

"You arrested Jacinto Santana in the tavern, where he'd taken a room in his own name. He had no knowledge of the murder. And according to Señorita Escalante, he was devastated when you gave him the news of his father's death. These are not the actions of a guilty man!"

"The evidence against him..." De Soto spluttered.

"The evidence against him is as feeble as your sense of justice," Zorro interrupted angrily. Why had he ever thought De Soto to be intelligent? The man leapt to conclusions with minimal evidence and never seemed to doubt them, even if a little effort would show those conclusions to be faulty. "Jacinto swore he was already on his way to Los Angeles when his father was killed." He unsheathed his sword to point it at De Soto. "You will thank me, Alcalde, when the authorities in San Diego find the real murderer." He slashed a Z into De Soto's uniform. "Adiós."

He started to ride away, but stopped as he caught a glimpse of the woman who rode into town just before the attempted execution watching him from a spot just outside the alcalde's office. As he turned back to look, he was a little taken aback by the intensity of her expression. Who was she, and what was her purpose in Los Angeles? He realized that he was returning her stare a little too long and said, "Buenos días, Señorita," before saluting her politely and continuing on his way.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria watched Zorro ride away with some regret. Diego was supposed to have gone to Santa Paula with Felipe this morning. However, because of De Soto's refusal to give Santana a proper trial, she knew Felipe was making the trip alone to take care of what business he could until Diego could join him which meant his simple trip was inevitably going to stretch several days. It was frustrating to have Diego so near and so far away. She couldn't talk to Zorro, and it was disorienting to see the man in the mask and not be able to expect Diego to come to town.

Now that De Soto's firing squad had failed, and he was busy sending out lancers to try to find Zorro and Santana, the merchants were now setting up their stalls. It was typical of their alcalde to have deliberately scheduled an execution on market day just to make a point. Of course the point he'd managed to make was that he was a fool who could always be thwarted by Zorro, but that was his own doing. However, it still didn't lessen her irritation with the man.

Silently cursing De Soto, Victoria composed herself as the woman who had attracted Zorro's attention crossed the plaza, carrying a small traveling bag.

"May I help you, Señora... ?" Victoria asked politely.

"Sinestra— Alberta Sinestra. I'm a widow. I would like a room."

"Certainly, Señora. How long do you think you'll be staying?" Victoria asked, taking her bag and leading the way inside, feeling wary of this stranger, though she didn't understand why. Perhaps it was because she made a point of mentioning her widowhood while not remotely dressed in mourning.

"A few days at least," she said.

Victoria got the key and led the woman upstairs to the room at the end, placing her bag inside. As she turned to go, Señora Sinestra stopped her.

"Was that really Zorro I saw?" she asked in a breathy voice.

"Yes, that was Zorro," Victoria said evenly. It had taken a while for her to find the right balance of admiration and distance in referring to the masked hero.

"He really is everything the legends paint him to be," Señora Sinestra said, admiration clear in her voice.

"He is," Victoria said. "He's the hero of the people."

Señora Sinestra looked down at her curiously. "It's also rumored that he's involved in a romance with the local tavern w... with you. Is that true?"

Victoria sighed. That seemed to have lived longer outside the pueblo than within it, as she'd discovered when Diego's friend Ernesto visited a month ago. Well, the world seemed to love a romance, especially if it was doomed or somewhat scandalous. "That's a very old rumor, and an exaggerated one at that. It was never more than a public flirtation." The lie flowed easily. Victoria was hardly bothered by it any more. "A man with a price on his head can't afford to settle down, and I'm engaged to someone else." She was more brusque than she would normally be; there was something about this woman that made her wary. She didn't want to encourage any talk about Zorro and for some inexplicable reason, didn't even want to mention Diego's name either.

"I see," Señora Sinestra said, with an air of calculation that did nothing to alleviate Victoria's discomfort.

Victoria was used to women expressing personal admiration for Zorro, something that no longer bothered her the way it used to, as she was confident in Diego's love for her. However, there seemed to be something more than simple admiration in this woman's eyes. Victoria wished she knew what it was but didn't let it bother her too much as she walked back downstairs.

About fifteen minutes later, her new boarder, having changed her dress, walked down the stairs and out into the marketplace. A few minutes later Victoria had her basket and was going through the market herself. She didn't deliberately set out to follow the woman, but when De Soto made it a point of approaching Señora Sinestra, Victoria felt it couldn't hurt to find out a little more about her. She managed to get close enough to hear the obviously smitten De Soto asking about her family connections.

"Well, Señora, your beauty and refinement are welcome additions to our pueblo. Now, let me see. Sinestra... Your late husband's uncle is the owner of the Bank of Cadiz, yes? And... your own family... Forgive me, what was your maiden name again?"

The man was truly incapable of subtlety; something Victoria could sympathize with. She still had to fight to hold her tongue at times and learn to ask more indirect questions. In this case, his directness was working for her.

"I was raised in an orphanage. I didn't have a family name until I married." At De Soto's expression, she said, "You're shocked. But I always believe in being candid with a gentleman."

Somehow Victoria had difficulty believing this. It seemed to her that Señora Sinestra was hiding something significant. What she wasn't sure, but there was something in the woman's manner that deeply troubled her.

De Soto stuttered his reply, rather obvious in his reaction to the news that she had an unknown background. "Uh... Yes... No... Forgive me."

Señora Sinestra continued, "You see, the man that I shall marry won't care about my parentage or how much money my husband left me. He will be a man like Zorro."

 _Not another one_ , Victoria thought, though she wasn't really surprised after Sinestra's earlier comments. Well, perhaps she might find a man _like_ Zorro; she certainly wouldn't be getting Zorro himself. Zorro belonged to the people, but the man under the mask belonged to _her_ , and she wasn't the kind to share.

De Soto though was clearly astounded. "Ahem. Well... Zorro! No, you're mistaken about Zorro, Señora, I assure you. Zorro is nothing more than a common thief, a criminal with a price on his head. A brigand. An outlaw..."

Victoria was barely paying attention to the man's ramblings, more interested in Señora Sinestra's sudden panicked look. She looked around to see what had startled the woman and spotted a strange man across the plaza. Events seemed to get muddled as she saw the man pull out a pistol and call Sinestra's name. De Soto shot the pistol from the man's hand as the señora ran.

"Stop that woman!"

Mendoza, who hadn't seen any of what had happened, heard only the command and grabbed her as she ran into him. De Soto held the man at sword point and demanded to know who he was.

"Jorge Ventura," the man said as he pulled a piece of parchment from inside his vest and handed it to De Soto. "Deputy to the provost marshal in Santa Fe. I've been following this woman for weeks. I almost caught up with her in San Diego, but she eluded me again. She's wanted, among other crimes, for the murder of her husband, Julio Sinestra."

Señora Sinestra immediately protested. "Ignacio, don't believe him! This man shot Julio down in cold blood over a game of cards."

Victoria wasn't entirely sure who to believe, but it was clear who De Soto did as he apologized to Ventura over Sinestra's increasingly desperate pleas. The cynical side of Victoria couldn't help but wonder if De Soto would have been so quick to side with Ventura if Señora Sinestra had come from an unimpeachable background and hadn't expressed an admiration for Zorro.

Ventura said, "Alcalde, will you hold this woman in your jail overnight? We'll start our journey back to Santa Fe in the morning."

Señora Sinestra continued to plead. "I beg you! I won't make it to the next village, much less to Santa Fe. I am the only witness to his crime!"

Somehow the more the woman protested her innocence the less Victoria was inclined to believe her. There was a theatricality to her protests that didn't feel genuine, but there was still a sliver of doubt, as Victoria was disconcerted by the fact that she was leaning to the same side as De Soto. The man had no sense of justice. Diego might have hope for him, but Victoria never really had from the moment he'd arrived with his absurd continental notions. It was against the grain to side with the man for any reason.

Since the jail was full, the señora was being placed under house arrest in her room at the tavern with Mendoza as her guard. As Victoria watched Mendoza push the still loudly protesting woman towards the tavern, she was struck by an odd suspicion.

Was it truly a coincidence that the same day Zorro freed a man claiming to be innocent of murder that a strange woman would also be accused of a murder while proclaiming her innocence? Or could this be some kind of trap set for the masked man? After all the bounty on his head was 6000 pesos, a great temptation for bounty hunters, and because of his chivalry, Zorro was more vulnerable to be led into a trap by a woman as Victoria already had reason to know. There was that woman who'd claimed to be Felipe's mother, the daughter of the commandant of Devil's Fortress who'd had him arrested, and that countess in France who turned out to be the mistress of the man who'd stolen the Musketeers' legacy (it had taken her forever to get the full story of that particular trip from him, and she was still sure that he'd left out a few details).

Of all times to be unable to contact Diego. Even if she made an excuse to go to the hacienda, she had no guarantee that he'd be there as he'd probably be out trying to discover proof of Jacinto Santana's innocence. On the other hand, it also meant there was a very good possibility that he wouldn't hear about this for some time. But on the off chance he would return to the cave during the day, Victoria decided to visit the hacienda during siesta, and even if he wasn't there, she could at least leave a message for him.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was evening when Zorro sneaked back into the pueblo. After his rescue of Jacinto Santana, he'd returned to town with the idea of going through and retrieving Santana's belongings which were still in his room at the tavern. As he'd been waiting for his opportunity to slip inside, he'd seen the arrest of Señora Sinestra and heard her proclaim her innocence. She sounded sincere enough, and this wouldn't be the first time a criminal had impersonated a law officer in order to get hold of an innocent person. However, after losing Santana, De Soto would be less inclined to leniency now, and Zorro couldn't afford to take a chance with someone's life if Señora Sinestra were telling the truth.

He'd spent the afternoon avoiding lancers and getting Santana to a safer location where he could hide for a few days. Then he'd spent some time asking him about any enemies his father may have had, but the young man couldn't think of any specific names though as alcalde of San Diego he would have made his share of enemies. There had been no specific threats recently.

By that time it was starting to get late, and he had no more time to do anything but head back to the pueblo. If the lady were really in danger, he needed to get her away as soon as possible. It was easy enough to slip into the tavern and to get around Mendoza who was enjoying a late night meal and who seemed intimidated enough by his not serious threat to cut him into pieces if he made a sound. He wished he dared speak to Victoria, but it wasn't safe considering the circumstances. He didn't want her suspected of helping him in this escape. They'd worked too hard on the separation between her and Zorro for him to risk compromising her now.

Señora Sinestra, fully dressed, lay sleeping on top of the bed. He was grateful to be spared the awkwardness of rescuing a woman in her nightclothes. As he stood watching her, she woke with a start.

"I heard you were in trouble," he said.

Señora Sinestra rose from the bed. She was quite a tall woman. Something he hadn't particularly noticed earlier but which he was more than aware of now as she stood uncomfortably close to him.

"I hoped you would come," she said in a breathy whisper, putting her hand on his chest in what was very definitely a caress.

At that moment, he really began to question the wisdom of this course of action, but he couldn't back out now, simply because she seemed to have the wrong idea of what kind of bandit he was.

"Señora," he said, stepping back, "we need to leave if I'm to get you away."

She nodded but looked at him with a sly and sensual smile. There was no time to deal with her apparent assumption that he had more on his mind than a simple rescue. Mendoza would only sit still so long. Taking her hand to make sure she kept up with him, he headed out the door with her and past Mendoza. They were halfway down the stairs when the debatable law officer suddenly appeared, pistol in hand.

"Not another step," he said. "Did you think I'd trust that fool sergeant to guard her by himself?"

Zorro regretted that he didn't have his sword out, but a pistol was a clumsy weapon— all he needed was a slight distraction. "Until you can prove you're truly a law officer, the lady is coming with me."

Behind him, he heard Victoria call out "Zorro!" which provided the distraction he needed. Jumping towards Ventura, he knocked the pistol down and then hit the man in the face. He could hear Mendoza calling out for the lancers, but out of the corner of his eye he could see Victoria stumble back, knocking Mendoza off his feet.

He had no more time to think as he reached the bottom of the stairs, Señora Sinistra close behind him, and he grabbed her hand again to pull her out of the tavern as quickly as possible. He could hear Victoria calling after him telling him not to do this, but he couldn't be sure if she meant it or if it was merely to keep suspicion off herself. More than ever he regretted not trying for a moment to see her before he started this rescue attempt, but again he had gone too far to back up at this point. Before the lancers could leave the garrison, he and Señora Sinestra were on Toronado heading out of the pueblo.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria sat quietly in the corner of the main room of the tavern, all but forgotten as the alcalde demanded to know what had happened, while Ventura made some pointed comments about the incompetence of Mendoza. As she watched the exchanges between De Soto and Ventura and De Soto and the lancers, she became more convinced than ever that there was some sort of conspiracy between Señora Sinestra and the so-called deputy to the provost marshal to lead Zorro into a trap for the bounty.

Diego could be so naive about women, but Victoria took some comfort in the fact that even when he was too trusting, he always exercised a certain amount of caution. She could only hope that caution would not desert him tonight. She did know that he would be disinclined to ride blindly anywhere the señora requested. After all, his knowledge of the territory was unparalleled.

All Victoria could do for the moment was pretend to believe in the marshal and keep an eye on what he did, since she had no idea where Zorro might have taken the woman. Happily, Ventura didn't seem to think her at all involved in the escape as she'd been quite determined to try to stop Zorro, so hopefully, he wouldn't be too on his guard.

~Z~Z~Z~

Zorro was relieved to finally reach the abandoned windmill where he planned to leave Señora Sinestra while he got her a horse and some supplies so he could send her to a safe place. The ride on Toronado was probably the most uncomfortable he'd ever had, worse than his rescue of Mendoza and the time he had a concussion. He wished he could have had her ride in front of him. That way he could have avoided her more blatant caresses, which she pretended were just her way of holding on when he kept asking her to stay still.

On the ride, he had to wonder if she was acting this way because she assumed that he was the kind of bandit who would demand "favors" of any woman he'd rescued or if she were the kind who got a thrill from the illicit and _hoped_ he was that kind of bandit. It didn't really matter; he knew enough of the world to realize that simply because someone had one vice didn't mean they had every vice. Even if Señora Sinestra were of a promiscuous disposition, it didn't necessarily follow that she was also a murderess.

However, knowing that did not ease the awkwardness of the situation when she pressed herself against him after he helped her down from Toronado, and he realized he was probably going to have to straight out tell her that there was nothing he wanted in exchange for rescuing her. As it was starting to get cooler, Zorro pulled a blanket from Toronado's saddlebags and handed it to Señora Sinestra before grabbing a small bag with some food and heading into the building, with the lady following rather close behind him.

As the door closed, Zorro felt a certain amount of regret for bringing this woman to the same place where he and Victoria had taken shelter on the way back from Santa Paula and she'd discovered his secret. Unfortunately, he knew this was the best place to keep the señora safely out of the way of the lancers until he could get her to a more secure location.

He was a bit more relieved when she stood quietly near the door while he gathered together enough fuel for a fire, even though he could feel her eyes burning through him as he worked. The way she was watching him made him even more uncomfortable, as if she were starving and he were a particularly desirable meal. He knew he should say something, but this was one thing he hated to deal with and always hoped he could use more indirect methods. Of course, most of the methods he had relied on belonged more to Diego than Zorro, and at the moment he was having a hard time thinking of a way to adapt them, as it had been a long time since he'd needed to use any of them. Perhaps, as long as she didn't get more forward, he could continue to ignore her attentions and get away without any further awkwardness.

Once the fire was lit, he looked around the room. It should be comfortable enough for her until he got back, and there was enough food that she shouldn't get too hungry before he returned. Before he could turn to tell her he was leaving, she was suddenly there beside him. He took a step back, but she stayed close.

Before he could speak, she said huskily, "How can I thank you for saving me?"

Moving to the side and closer to the door, he replied evenly, "There is no need for you to thank me, Señora. Too often justice is ignored in Los Angeles." He hoped that it was clear enough that he hadn't rescued her for any nefarious purpose.

She wasn't deterred. Moving closer, she whispered, "But what if I should like to show my appreciation, señor?" She tried sliding her hands up his shoulders, but he grabbed them and stepped away.

He could barely stop himself from cringing at her use of the word _appreciation_ , as it reminded him of what he had told Victoria right after his first adventure wearing the mask. "There is really _no_ need, Señora. I simply try to be of help," he said, still holding onto her hands to keep her at a distance, which was proving somewhat difficult since he didn't want to hurt her. "Now, I really must be going. You should be safe enough here until tomorrow." He found himself backing up a half step at a time and angled himself to make sure he was heading in the direction of the door.

"You're leaving me here— alone?" she asked incredulously, then in a softer voice: "Can't you stay?" She was still trying to get close, and he could see a glint in her eye as he kept backing away. How could she not get the hint?

And he was definitely _not_ staying here a moment longer than he had to. He was hoping somehow to find a little time to get some sleep during the day, and there was no way he'd dare try to get that sleep here. There was something about this woman that made him very nervous, above the fact that she seemed oblivious to the fact that he didn't want what she was offering. Could she really be a murderer after all? "I have to go. You're going to need a horse and provisions. That will take time, and I'll move faster alone. There will be patrols to avoid. But they are unlikely to even approach this place before tomorrow night, and you should be on your way by then."

"But I feel safer with you," she insisted, pressing closer as his back finally hit the wall next to the door.

He wished she wasn't so tall. It was quite difficult to keep talking with her face so near to his. He did _not_ want her trying to kiss him, and at this distance, it would be more of a challenge to stop her. "You'll be even safer further from Los Angeles," he said. "I must go, Señora." He released her hands in order to slip out of the door.

She grasped his arm before he could leave. "Are you always such a _gentleman_ , Señor Zorro?" she asked. "Surely you don't have to be in such a hurry."

Since the only woman who'd truly tempted him to ungentlemanly behavior while he'd been wearing the mask was now engaged to his unmasked self, he didn't think it was lying to say, "I always strive to be a gentleman, Señora Sinestra, and I _do_ need to be in a hurry. After all, you are still in danger, so stay inside. I'll return as soon as I am able."

"But in the dark, how much time can you save?" she persisted. "Won't you stay and rest a while?" Her eyes trailed down his frame before returning to his face.

"I know this territory very well," he replied, knowing that she had no intention of letting him rest if he stayed. He pried her hand off him. "And I really must go." Then he was out the door before she could do anything else.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria had a restless night, worried that Ventura might slip out without her knowing it, though she realized he would be as unlikely to know where the two of them had gone as she did. That didn't make it any easier to sleep. She couldn't help but wonder if Diego was safe, if he was being as cautious as he should be. He was too chivalrous for his own good at times.

Also, this was the first time since she'd learned his secret that Victoria needed to talk to Zorro with Diego not being readily available, and it was incredibly frustrating to not know how to reach him. Normally, she'd find Felipe, but since he was in Santa Paula carrying out most of the errands Diego was supposed to be doing, she didn't have that resource either. She couldn't even rely on Don Alejandro to pass on a message to Diego if he managed to return, as he'd ridden south to visit his cousin Horacio de la Vega for a few days as well as speak with Doña Catalina.

Now that the Christmas season had passed, he was getting more focused on the upcoming wedding as well as his determination to discover more about the political situation than he could get in letters and Doña Catalina somehow always seemed to know more than anyone really should. It was an unfortunate coincidence that his trip south managed to overlap with Diego's trip, since Diego had only expected to be gone overnight at the most. But thinking about her regrets didn't help her determine a solution to her dilemma.

Despite her worry, Ventura was still around in the morning. In fact, to Victoria's surprise, he seemed quite content to let the alcalde and his men conduct the search for Señora Sinestra while he waited in town.

When she asked, he said, "I've been traveling for some time, and they're more familiar with the immediate territory. I'll give them today to try to find her. If they don't, I'll start after her tomorrow. Sooner or later, I'm going to catch her, and I'll go through Zorro to get her if I have to."

This did nothing to allay Victoria's suspicions or concerns, but there was nothing much she could do when the man went back to his room after breakfast, though she kept one eye on his room during the day as she worked. He only emerged from his room at lunch and returned just as quickly when he was done. Victoria began to think that either he was really who he said he was or his job was to remain in the pueblo and seem unsuspicious, which would mean they'd have to have other accomplices. She finally decided that it would be a good idea to go to the de la Vega hacienda and see if Diego had found the note she had left for him in the cave. As there were several other errands she needed to do, she took the wagon.

When she arrived at the de la Vega hacienda, she took a few minutes to discuss her new dresses with Luisa and get dragged into trying one on to see what adjustments needed to be made. Once she managed to finish that she did manage to make it down to the cave for a few minutes. To her frustration, it seemed as if Diego hadn't made it back at all, as her note appeared untouched. Not knowing what else to do, she added another sheet that briefly described what happened after he'd left and implored him to be careful. Looking around the cave with a sigh, Victoria slipped back upstairs and headed back to the tavern, hoping that her fox had lost none of his cunning.

~Z~Z~Z~

Putting a good distance between the windmill and himself as well as Los Angeles, Zorro stopped at a secluded cave half-way to where he intended to acquire the horse and supplies for the señora and managed to get a few hours of sleep. Strangely, he found himself dreaming of a lady with red hair and blue eyes, who'd confused him very much when he was younger. She had been charming, vivacious... and married, a fact he couldn't overlook though it didn't seem to weigh on her mind at all, since her husband apparently preferred to remain at their country estate and she in Madrid.

Doña Maribel already had quite a reputation when he met her during one of the university holidays, but he'd been too occupied with his studies up to that point to be aware of society gossip, and his aunt and uncle weren't the kind to indulge in it. That had been part of his difficulty. He'd never really paid too much attention to what was going on at many of the larger gatherings he'd gotten dragged to, usually sticking close to his uncle or Ernesto, being very polite to most of the people he met but not really getting too involved in the personal side of things. However, when he met Doña Maribel, he'd been at loose ends.

His uncle had a cold, and his aunt insisted on his going anyway, and since Sir Edmund had been called away on a family emergency, he didn't even have the excuse of extra practice to save him. His friend Ernesto was attending his brother Julián's wedding, and Estevan had decided to spend his holiday traveling looking for games of chance and willing women, not the kind of holiday that appealed to Diego. So for the first time in a long time, he'd been alone when he met her that particular evening.

She'd been charming and attentive and not at all put off by his conversational techniques, and for once he hadn't really minded, though her flirtatious manner did make him slightly, but not too, uneasy, as he'd already met a few married ladies who enjoyed flirting but would never encourage anything further. He'd been feeling a bit lonely and frustrated, and she was very kind to him, so he let himself enjoy what he thought was a relatively innocent friendship, glad to speak with her whenever they met again. It truly _had_ seemed innocent to him, at least until that night on the balcony.

To this day, he still wasn't certain how it had happened, though in hindsight he realized that she had been manipulating the entire situation and that he hadn't even noticed what she was doing. He certainly hadn't had any intention of kissing her and yet he did, though he felt guilty immediately afterwards, guilty and unsure of what to do about it. He'd been lucky that his uncle had seen what was going on and helped him disentangle himself before he had anything worse to regret, especially in light of the scandal that had erupted a couple of months after the last time he had seen her.

Doña Maribel's husband had apparently grown tired of the country and ended up catching her in a compromising situation with her latest conquest. The husband died in the subsequent duel; her young lover had to leave the country; and she'd been forced to leave herself as there was too much talk that she'd deliberately set out to rid herself of her husband. Diego had never really believed that, but perhaps that's because he remembered how kind yet heedless she'd been. She seemed exactly the kind of person to never see past getting what she wanted, consequences good or bad, yet she seemed not to particularly care too much if she succeeded or failed. She simply seemed not to have a particular moral compass when it came to sexual fidelity, but Diego didn't believe she was the type to cold-bloodedly plan her husband's death. But perhaps that was also because he had been too embarrassed by the fact that he'd been on the verge of compromising his own moral principles with her.

He still didn't like to dwell on those days too closely and was disturbed by the dream he had, though he assumed it had been prompted by Señora Sinestra's forward behavior, seeing parallels that might or might not be there. The woman disturbed him, but he still wasn't inclined to think she was a murderess. Perhaps just a desperate woman trying to assure herself of a protector. After all, he knew nothing of what her life had been. In any event he would be relieved to get her to the safety of the mission of San Pedro and find some way of learning the truth of the matter.

Shaking the last remnants of the dream from his head, Zorro continued on his way. For this rescue, he didn't dare use anything identifiably belonging to the de la Vegas, nor did he want to put anyone else at risk. However, there was a man who owed Zorro his life and who lived far enough out of Los Angeles that he was unlikely to be bothered by the lancers. He also wouldn't mind selling Zorro what he'd needed or concealing that fact from anyone who asked. He was quite a gifted liar, a fact which had directly led to his needing rescue in the first place. As Zorro had hoped, Bernardo sold him a serviceable horse and provisions for a reasonable sum and didn't ask any questions.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was late afternoon before Zorro managed to return to the windmill. It had taken some time to be sure of avoiding the patrols, and it was with some relief that he noted that he'd been right that they hadn't been near the windmill since he'd left. Señora Sinestra was waiting for him when he walked in. Again she stood far too close to him, forcing him to find a way to add to the space between them. This time he lifted up the bag he was carrying to use as a barrier between them. She didn't seem to notice what he was doing as she watched him with bright eyes.

With a calmness he didn't really feel, Zorro said, "I brought a fresh horse and provisions for your journey. Ride to the mission at San Pedro and wait there."

"Wait for what?" she asked. "Come away with me right now."

He was getting very annoyed by her inability to understand that he wasn't interested in her, but he still preferred to pretend to not understand rather than confront her directly. "Señora, I understand your desire to be free, but I trust you to stay at the mission until your innocence is determined."

"My _innocence_?" she repeated incredulously. "Ventura killed my husband. I saw him. And if he has the slightest chance, he will kill me too. You must believe that. You rescued me." She slid her arms up his shoulders as he tried backing away.

"As I would anyone in danger," he said, dropping the bag he was carrying to once again grab at her hands, feeling a disquieting sense of deja vu. Why wouldn't she take the hint? He'd done nothing to indicate he wanted to do anything other than help her. What would make her think he'd want to run away with her?

She looked at him in disbelief. "Are you truly such a monk?" she asked. "Never tempted to take advantage of the freedom of wearing a mask? No matter how willing the woman?"

He winced at her questions. Not that being compared to a monk particularly bothered him. He'd had temptations enough in his life, especially when he'd been far away from home and convinced Victoria would be married before he returned, and he'd been... not proud... relieved that he'd managed to hold on to his self-respect and self-control, even if by the skin of his teeth. However, as for taking advantage of wearing a mask— that was a little too close to what he _had_ done with Victoria before she found out the truth. Not that he'd actually tried what this woman was implying, but he'd known his behavior hadn't been what it should have been. "Señora, I wear the mask to protect my identity, not to take advantage of others."

"I find that very hard to believe," she said, before continuing in what he supposed he thought was a persuasive manner. "Listen. I have money. More money than you can imagine. We'll start a new life together, far from here, somewhere where they've never heard of Zorro."

How could he be any more obvious that he didn't want her? That he was only trying to help. "Señora, my duty is here in this pueblo. I have no desire to abandon it."

The look in her eyes chilled him. "I don't believe you stay because of duty. It's that tavern wench. I heard how she called out to you, and I'm sure you didn't play the monk with her. The whole territory knows she's been your woman, even if she's going to marry someone else. What happened? Did she find someone more prosperous? Or does she need someone willing to claim a bandit's bastard?"

He froze in anger. He had never struck a woman before, but he was fighting the temptation right now. With effort he managed to say, "Señorita Escalante is a virtuous and honorable lady who's marrying the man she loves, Señora. She doesn't deserve such insinuations, and I think it's time you were on your way."

To his surprise she laughed incredulously, setting his teeth on edge. "A lovelorn bandit. Who would have thought of such a thing? Why pine over someone who doesn't want you when you could have another? Come away with me."

Zorro stood very still from the effort to control his anger. This woman might not be a murderer, but there was clearly something wrong with her, something he couldn't quite understand. With an effort, through gritted teeth, he said, "Señora, the answer is and always will be 'no'; I helped you for no other reason than to protect you from possible danger. I want nothing from you in return, and I have no reason or desire to run away from my home. I don't know how I can make myself plainer." He was trying to keep his growing repugnance under control, but he didn't know how much more he could take, as his temper was so much on edge he was afraid he'd do something he'd regret.

Her own eyes blazed at him, when she finally seemed to understand. "Fine then. You've made your choice and you'll pay for it, Señor." She brushed past him and left, ignoring the bag of provisions on the floor.

He stood there stunned for longer than he liked, trying comprehend what just happened, why Señora Sinestra had behaved as she had. The sound of the other horse's hooves had faded away before he managed to bring himself to exit the windmill. He contemplated just riding straight home in order to switch identities so that he could join Felipe in Santa Paula, but his feelings of chivalry wouldn't let him ignore the dangers a woman distracted by anger could be riding into and instead set off in the direction of San Pedro, with the thought of keeping an eye on her from a distance.

He too was suffering from a bit of distraction as it took him almost three miles to determine that she wasn't heading towards San Pedro at all. A strange foreboding filled him as he backtracked to find her trail, wondering where she would be heading if not to a place of safety.


	19. Hell Hath No Fury (A Woman Scorned) Part 2

The evening wasn't any better than the day. Victoria had closed early because she wasn't up to dealing with any more customers, not that there had been that many, since most of the lancers were out looking for Señora Sinestra and Zorro. Ventura was still waiting around, and Victoria was starting to fear that he was an honest man which meant that there was a strong possibility that Diego was out there alone with a murderess. Going up to her room, Victoria took her ring out of its box and put it on her finger. Somehow she felt a little better with it in its proper place.

As she sat there she was disturbed by a noise from below. Had she forgotten to lock the back door? She had been a bit distracted. Slipping out of her room, Victoria walked down the stairs, listening and looking. Despite that, she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she was relieved to see it was only Ventura.

"Señor Ventura, you startled me," she said. "I heard a noise."

"So did I," he replied, crossing the room towards the kitchen. "Wait here."

Victoria followed him carefully, waiting as he stepped into the kitchen. As she stood there she was startled by the sound of a shot and a thud. Knowing that this wasn't wise, Victoria still walked tentatively towards the kitchen.

"Señor Ventura?" she asked as she opened the curtain to see Ventura barely standing upright blood flowing from a wound in his shoulder. Unable to stop herself, Victoria screamed.

The man staggered forward towards the bar, and Victoria tried but failed to keep him from falling over. She didn't have time to see how badly he was wounded as almost immediately after he'd fallen to the floor, Señora Sinestra appeared from the kitchen a knife in her hand.

Now Victoria was truly panicked. What was the woman doing here? And if she were here, what had happened to Diego? She couldn't have killed him, could she?

"Where's Zorro?" Victoria demanded, backing away, trying to find a weapon. "He was with you." _Please God, let him not be dead_.

Victoria didn't know what she expected the woman to say, but the next words out of her mouth managed to frighten her even more, because they revealed that Sinestra was not simply murderous but mad. "That's right. He's done with you. He loves me now!" She struck at Victoria with the knife.

Grabbing a small bench, Victoria managed to bring it up before the knife hit her. But as she tried twisting it around the knife cut her arm causing her to drop the bench. Running backwards, Victoria tried to put a post between them, as Sinestra struck at her again, but almost like a miracle, Zorro was there beside her catching Sinestra's wrist before the knife could strike home.

"You have such a twisted view of love," he said, "I truly pity you, Señora. You're going back to Santa Fe to stand trial." He twisted the knife from her hand.

Victoria could hardly contain her relief to see him, though she had to wonder what had happened that had caused this madwoman to come after her. She knew he would never have said anything about her directly.

Sinestra backed away. "Ventura was just like my husband and just like that alcalde in San Diego. Prying, snooping, always thinking they were smarter than me. Well, I showed them. They all deserved to die." She ran for the door. "And so do you! Lancers! Zorro!"

Victoria could hear the lancers outside. Zorro had followed Sinestra to the door. Now that the madwoman had no weapon, Victoria could see his chivalrous nature reasserting itself. Well, Victoria had no reason to hold back. That woman had tried to kill her, wanted the man she loved dead. With all the anger she felt, Victoria punched her as hard as she could, knocking the woman out. Zorro caught Sinestra before she hit the ground.

"Feel better?" he asked with a smile.

"Much better," Victoria replied, glad to have been able to do something at last.

They didn't have any more time as the lancers were running across the plaza. Zorro pulled her to the side as he stood near the rope to the chandelier. When the lancers were under the chandelier he cut the rope. All but one went down and it took Zorro but another moment to knock him out. Victoria could hear more noises outside.

"You'd better go," she said, holding her hand over the cut on her arm.

Looking at her with concern, he said, "You've been hurt."

"I'll be fine," she said. "You really should go. I can tell them what happened here. Go!"

One more look and reluctantly he disappeared up the stairs. Victoria forced herself to not watch him leave as she hurried around the side of the bar to grab one of her clean cloths to wrap around her cut. She stood up just in time to see De Soto pulling a conscious Sinestra up from the floor.

"Quickly, Ignacio. Zorro was here. He killed Ventura," she said.

Before Victoria could protest, she heard Ventura's voice. "Sorry to disappoint you, Señora."

"Ventura, you've been shot," De Soto said.

"Yes. You can add attempted murder to her charges," he said.

Señora Sinestra tried running, but a lancer caught her before she could get too far.

Victoria walked around the bar and said, "And she confessed to the murder of Alcalde Santana in San Diego as well as her husband."

"What?" De Soto gasped.

"She's lying!" Sinestra screeched.

"No... she's not... . I heard it as well," Ventura said.

Looking thoroughly nonplused, De Soto turned to his men. "Lancers, get Ventura to a doctor." A couple of men helped Ventura up and out the door. Then De Soto spoke to the men holding Señora Sinestra. "Take her to my office." Only then did he seem to notice the cloth on Victoria's arm. "Señorita Escalante, do you need a doctor?"

"No, it's only a scratch," Victoria said. "She didn't do too much damage. I'll be fine."

De Soto hesitated. "If you say so."

"I do," Victoria said, wanting the man to go but not being able to resist a jab at his idiotic approach to justice. "A cut was worth it to find out Jacinto Santana was innocent."

"Ah, yes," De Soto said with only mild embarrassment. "Well, we'll need to take your statement tomorrow about that."

"Fine. Tomorrow," Victoria said, impatiently. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd really like to lock up and get some rest."

"Of course," De Soto said before turning and leaving.

Victoria locked the front and back doors quickly, starting to feel a little sick and queasy as the excitement quieted down. She kept medical supplies in her bedroom for emergencies, so she headed directly for the stairs. The moment she was inside her room, she found herself enveloped in a black silk clad embrace.

"Zorro!" she exclaimed involuntarily, even though with the tavern being empty and locked there was no need to use that name. It was too ingrained a habit. "Why are you still here?"

"I couldn't leave without being sure you were all right," he said.

The moment he released her, she turned and locked the door before letting him insist she sit down on her bed while he looked after the cut on her arm. He'd already taken off his gloves and hat but left the mask on. It was a strange sensation to sit here with Diego while he was dressed as Zorro. She wasn't sure how to behave, even behind two locked doors in an empty tavern. What she wanted to do was pull the mask straight off his head, but worried that he might need to leave in a hurry, she simply sat and let him work.

He seemed equally uncomfortable but for some other reason. As he started wrapping her arm, he said, "Victoria, I'm sorry about this. That woman... I thought I was helping someone in trouble... I didn't realize..."

"I didn't either," Victoria interrupted. "I didn't trust her, but I thought she was trying to lead you into a trap for the bounty. I didn't think she was insane."

He looked up at her in surprise before his gaze dropped back to her arm as he finished tying off the bandage. His voice was softer and filled with guilt. "I should have realized... . I simply thought she was..." he stopped. "I don't know how she figured out I love you. I never mentioned your name, until she insulted you, and all I did was defend your character and say you were engaged. I didn't think she'd blame you for my not wanting... not being interested in her. And I swear I didn't..."

Victoria put the fingers of her other hand over his mouth. "Shh... . I know. I know you, and I love you. It wasn't your fault. She'd heard the old rumors about us, and she was insane."

He lifted his hand to caress her neck and leaned forward to kiss her. It felt strange to be kissing him while he was wearing a mask, wrong even, since she'd been spending so much time pretending Zorro wasn't Diego, but right now she saw no need to pretend he was anything but the man she loved. She'd been so afraid for him she needed his closeness right now, and they were alone and would certainly have warning if someone wanted in downstairs. He didn't seem to care either as he pulled her closer with his other arm, kissing her with greater fervor. She forgot all about the pain in her arm as his lips moved down her neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

As he kissed her, Victoria slid her legs over his in order to get even closer to him, twisting slightly to kiss his jaw, her hand slipping under the collar of his shirt to his shoulder. She tried to remember why this was a bad idea, as he moved back up to kiss her lips again. They'd kissed before, but it had never felt quite like this. Somehow the top button of his shirt had come loose, and Victoria pressed kisses to his exposed skin while his hands caressed her back. Trying to pull him even closer, Victoria forgot her sore arm and hissed as a sudden pain shot up her arm.

"Victoria," he said in concern, letting go of her and sliding back to the end of the bed.

Victoria was having trouble with her breathing and not because of the pain. "I'm all right."

Nodding, he reached out a hand for her before pulling it back. He looked as frustrated as she felt, and in a sudden movement he rose and grabbed his hat and gloves before going to the window. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." He looked down. "I should let Jacinto Santana know that he's been cleared." He leaned back against the wall still looking at Victoria, as he put his gloves back on.

Victoria's hand clenched in the material of her skirt. It was hard to sit still when all she wanted was to be in his arms, but she remembered why this was a bad idea. Softly, she said, "Once you've told him that his father's murderer has been caught, please make sure Diego gets home from his trip as soon as possible."

From his place next to the open window, he said, "By tomorrow afternoon at the latest." He looked at her for a long moment, hesitating as if he wanted to say something more, but then with a deep breath, he saluted her in Zorro fashion before disappearing out the window.

After a minute, Victoria crossed to the window, staring out into the darkness, letting the night air cool her heated blood, twisting her engagement ring around her finger almost absently. She was thoroughly chilled by the time she closed the window and went to change for bed.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria spent a very sleepless night. It wasn't just that her arm pained her. She was feeling such an odd mixture of longing and guilt that she couldn't entirely explain. She understood why she felt guilty about the fact that she hadn't wanted them to stop despite the fact they weren't yet married; that part was easy enough. She'd known that the moment he'd pulled away from her before leaving. But there was something else, something she couldn't quite put a name to. It was mid morning before she'd realized what it was.

Diego had been wearing the wrong clothes. That thought gave her pause. She knew Diego was Zorro; why should she feel so guilty about kissing him while he was wearing black when they were all alone?

Then she thought about what might happen if he'd stayed rather than left. Zorro seen leaving the tavern shortly after rescuing her from a murderess wouldn't cause any real comment. But Zorro seen leaving much later (though unlikely as he was good at stealth) would be disastrous. Victoria immediately thought of two possible outcomes both of which were horrible. The first that someone would assume that she was betraying Diego with Zorro. And terrible as that thought was, Victoria thought the second possibility infinitely worse: that someone would make the connection that Diego was Zorro. She would rather be thought a trollop than have Diego's life be at risk. It almost seemed odd to realize that Diego being seen leaving the tavern at an unseemly hour of the morning wouldn't be even remotely as scandalous in light of their engagement.

Still trying to work out everything in her mind, Victoria was grateful when Doctor Hernandez came by early to check her arm, just in case. She hadn't actually thought about the fact that the neat bandage Diego had tied was something she would have had difficulty managing on her own, but now she could say that the doctor had looked at her arm without any concern about any particularly perceptive individuals asking questions, as Zorro had apparently left before De Soto arrived. While the doctor was changing the bandage, she asked about Ventura, who was doing well, but still sleeping.

Since her arm was sore, Victoria was forced to rely on Alicia and Pilar to do most of the work with Teresa assisting them. As she had more time on her hands she spent most of the morning feeling very frustrated by the weird twists in her and Diego's relationship. It was all so simple when he could keep his distance as Zorro.

In fact he'd been able to do that since before their public courtship started. Their public interactions had been all that was polite and courteous, but he hadn't really had to do more than deal with the alcalde damaging her tavern or cheating at the election. But last night had been different; she'd been in direct danger from a madwoman who'd seen her as a threat because of the old stories of their romance or perhaps the woman had actually figured out something from the way Zorro had reacted to the insults he'd said Sinestra had made. It didn't matter, since the fact that Sinestra had asked her about those stories would be enough to explain why she'd blame Victoria for Zorro's rejection of her, which was what she planned to say if asked when she talked to De Soto.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was late morning when Victoria walked over to the cuartel to speak with De Soto. He was unaccountably polite to her, offering her a chair, asking how her arm was feeling and if she'd had someone see to it. She wondered at his behavior but acted as if it were completely natural on his part, since she was hoping to get through this interview with a minimum of difficulty, and told him she felt well enough all things considered. She looked around and wasn't surprised to see Jorge Garcia sitting at a small table with writing materials at the ready. Thanks to Diego's training, he'd become quite adept at recording conversations and had excellent penmanship as well, so besides working on the _Guardian_ he was also handy for writing out official documents with precision.

"Well, yes, good," De Soto said. "Now are you ready to make your statement?" He looked from Victoria over to Jorge.

"Yes, I am," Victoria said, feeling wary.

She kept it simple, describing what happened with Ventura and Sinestra without elaborating on anything she or Sinestra had said before she came to the woman's confession after Zorro had wrenched the knife from her. De Soto was insistent to hear the exact words.

"I'm not sure I can quote her word for word," Victoria said reluctantly. "But to the best of my knowledge she said that Ventura was just like her husband and the alcalde in San Diego, and rambled something about snooping and prying and thinking they were smarter than her— she wasn't making too much sense then— and then she said they deserved to die and Zorro did too." Victoria hoped she was conveying the right amount of feeling about the attack, about her gratitude to Zorro for saving her life.

"That seems clear enough since she'd just tried to kill Ventura and you." De Soto looked down at some papers on his desk and then back up. "It's hard to believe that she'd come all the way back to town when she could have kept on fleeing— thanks to Zorro." The last was said in a bitter undertone.

"I suppose she knew Ventura would just keep after her, and she couldn't count on Zorro to protect her once it became obvious Ventura was who he said he was," Victoria said evenly, glad that De Soto didn't seem to realize that Sinestra had deliberately set out after her as well as Ventura. If she was lucky, De Soto would think that she was a target just because she was there. She had some doubts that Ventura was aware of everything that was said or would think it significant if he was. Despite her nervousness and reluctance to speak about Zorro, there was something she was going to point out to him. "Zorro may have made a mistake to begin with, but he's not the only one who's been mistaken this past week, though I'd call his a mistake of compassion rather than judgement. In any event, he saved my life, and I'm grateful for that," she paused, and then added, "And I'm sure that Diego and his father will be grateful as well." Another pause. "Oh, and I'm sure that the people of San Diego will be grateful that the true murderer of their alcalde has been apprehended."

De Soto's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes," he said flatly as he picked up the papers in front of him and placed them off to the side. "I'm certain they all will." He paused as something seemed to come to him. "Oh, before I forget, who knocked out the señora?"

"I did," Victoria said. "After all, she tried to kill me and confessed to murder, and Zorro's too much of a gentleman to hit a woman. Not something I have to worry about."

"No, I would say not." De Soto looked her up and down appraisingly for a moment. Then in a business like tone, said, "Thank you, Señorita, that should be all I require for the moment. I'll let you know when your statement is ready for you to sign."

The man's voice fairly dripped with insincerity but Victoria didn't care. She was just grateful that he was obviously weary of talking to her. She rose from her seat and made her way to the door. "Buenos días, alcalde."

She crossed the plaza, relieved that everything went as well as it did. Now, it was simply a question of waiting for Diego to come home. He had promised by the afternoon, but she still had no idea of when that would be. Her helpers were handling everything well enough without her, and in fact, insisted on her taking it easy, so in order to distract herself, she picked up a book and stretched out on the sofa in the sitting room, facing the open door so she could see Diego when he arrived.

Despite her abstraction, she managed to get involved in the novel. The heroine was a spoiled rich girl who thought she knew more about everyone's business than they did, but it was clear to Victoria that she wasn't as clever as she thought she was, and that made it interesting. She wasn't impossibly good or virtuous, and considering that Victoria's life was already full of more intrigue and danger than she liked, she found a great respite in the absence of highwaymen, mocking fiends, or murderous madwomen. She in fact got so absorbed that she was quite startled when she heard Diego's voice.

Looking up, she saw him standing in the doorway, a concerned expression on his face, and dropping her book she got up and launched herself into his arms. He held her very tightly for some time.

"Are you all right, Victoria?" he asked her in a soft voice.

"I am now that you are back," she replied softly, not willing to let him go,

Much sooner than she liked, he let go to look at her arm. "Sgt. Mendoza told me what happened," he said, then in a tone that conveyed what he really meant. "I wish I could have been here."

"So do I," Victoria murmured. "But I'm fine, and it's only a scratch." She led him over to the sofa. He kept hold of her hands as they sat down. She glanced at the open door. It was unlikely that anyone was listening, but she wasn't going to take a chance. "How was your trip?"

Diego's thumbs traced circles over the backs of her hands. "Uneventful," he said briefly. "Everything was taken care of. The material arrived, and my violin should be repaired in a couple of weeks. Felipe's taken the wagon home, and I came here as quickly as I could." He lowered his voice. "As promised."

Victoria leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'm glad," she said. "It hasn't been the same without you here." Sometime soon they'd have to discuss what to do in situations like the one they'd just been in. There had to be some way to communicate. However, they couldn't talk about that now, though she could ask another question. "What did Sergeant Mendoza tell you?"

"That there was trouble with an accused murderess that Zorro rescued and who came back and tried to kill you and the man who'd been tracking her. However, he did emphasize that Zorro saved your life," Diego said. "I think he didn't want me to get angry with Zorro for his mistake." He looked at her arm. "I'm afraid he failed in that, as I certainly do blame him for being so foolish and putting you in danger."

"I don't," Victoria said firmly. "As I told the alcalde earlier, he made a mistake of compassion. Even Zorro can be wrong. I'm not going to blame him for an honest mistake." She gave him a knowing look. "And I don't want you to do it either." She was determined to not let him berate himself for being wrong, not when he had only been concerned with the possibility of saving someone's life.

Diego sighed. "I will try, my love," he said. "However, it won't be easy... ." He shook his head slightly. "Maybe, if you could tell me everything that happened... while I was gone. Mendoza wasn't very detailed, and I very much want to hear the whole story."

"All right," Victoria said. "But in exchange, _later_ I want to hear every detail of your own trip." She very much wanted to know everything that had transpired between Zorro and Sinestra, as she wondered just how much Diego had had to put up with from the woman. But _that_ conversation would have to wait until they had guaranteed privacy.

"As you wish," Diego said, obviously understanding what she meant, though she could tell by his expression that he wasn't looking forward to it.

With a smile that she hoped conveyed that she didn't either blame or suspect him of anything, Victoria told him about everything that happened from the time of Zorro's rescue of Jacinto Santana up to her meeting with the alcalde earlier in the day, leaving out only her trips to the cave and, of course, making absolutely no mention of what happened in her bedroom. She did enjoy mentioning De Soto's brief infatuation with Señora Sinestra before finding out her orphan status and more critically her admiration for Zorro, though she regretted mentioning the last or the earlier questions Sinestra had asked about her and Zorro's relationship, as Diego looked quite pained that he hadn't known that. The rest of the story was delivered more dispassionately, since she knew Diego was feeling guilty for unwittingly placing her in danger, and she didn't want to overly emphasize anything that might exacerbate that feeling.

"I'm glad everything turned out as well as it did," Diego said when she finished. "I did see Jacinto Santana entering the alcalde's office when I rode into town and hoped that it was truly safe for him to do so."

"Oh, it certainly should be," Victoria said. "Our alcalde seemed more embarrassed than anything else. With two witnesses hearing Señora Sinestra's statements, I don't think he'd dare, especially since I'm sure he's recalled that you have some influential friends in San Diego and wouldn't hesitate to let them know exactly what happened if he persisted in behaving like a fool over this."

"Well, that would be a change," Diego said dryly, "as it didn't stop him from condemning Jacinto Santana in the first place."

"True," Victoria replied. "But now there's far more proof that it was Señora Sinestra's crime." She fixed her eyes on Diego and said softly, "It's a victory. Honestly, it is."

"Yes, I know," Diego said.

He didn't look certain, but then he saw the book that had fallen on the floor and picking it up, asked her to tell him about it. Diego still looked very tense. Victoria wondered what he was thinking about. Was it what had happened in her room? Was he thinking that he'd endangered her then too? Another thought struck her suddenly, something she hadn't worried about for a long time. Was he bothered because of the way she'd kissed him when he was dressed as Zorro? She knew it hadn't been because of the mask but because she'd been afraid and they'd been alone in her bedroom for the first time. However, while they were sitting in her tavern with people outside the room, she couldn't ask him the questions that she really wanted, so Victoria accepted the change of subject though she became more determined to talk to him without disguise as soon as she safely could.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day, Diego sat in the library of the hacienda feeling rather disgusted with himself. Despite all Victoria's assurance, he still felt guilty for what happened with Sinestra. But what was worse, he felt guilty for how close he'd come to losing control with her in her bedroom. She was tempting enough under normal circumstances, but that night it had been almost more than he could handle. If her arm hadn't bothered her...

Did wearing the mask make him too reckless, too unconcerned for consequences? He wasn't sure. But it _had_ been dangerous enough to have remained as long as he did. Any longer and it could have had fatal consequences for them all. How could he have been so foolish? He sighed as he thought about the conversation that Victoria was going to insist on. He hadn't done anything wrong— beyond rescue a murderess. However, that didn't mean that he wanted to dwell on the odd behavior of the señora. If he was lucky, Victoria would let him get away with a basic retelling. He sighed again. No, he wouldn't be that lucky. He remembered how relentless she'd been about his trip to France. He didn't expect her to be any less now. Not when the woman had tried to kill her. He owed her the full story.

Don Alejandro was still visiting Great Aunt Catalina, and Diego wasn't sure when he would return, though it should be within the next day or two. By the time he got back, everything should be mostly settled, though Diego knew he'd be horrified that Victoria had been nearly killed. At this moment, Diego was relieved that his father didn't know he was Zorro as he didn't think he could handle his father's outrage piled on top of his own guilt.

He tried concentrating on his book, while waiting for Victoria to show up. He knew to expect her, but for once, he wasn't really looking forward to seeing her, especially considering what a blow his self-control had taken, and that with his father gone and Felipe busy elsewhere, there was little likelihood of their conversation being interrupted.

Finally there was a knock on the door. Swiftly crossing the room, Diego opened the door to see Victoria standing there. She was beautiful, as always. He lifted her hand for a kiss, still feeling a bit tense and uncertain around her.

"I'm glad to see you," he said.

She looked around and then up at him with a curious expression. "Is it safe for us to go talk now?" she asked. She seemed more nervous than usual as well.

Diego looked around himself before saying, "Yes, I don't think anyone will look for us for some time." He turned towards the fireplace her hand still in his. There was a look in her eye that bothered him, but he knew they had to talk, and it was better not to delay.

Victoria kept holding onto Diego's hand as they walked down into the cave. When they reached the bottom, Victoria stopped on the second step, letting go of his hand as he turned towards her. Looking in his eyes, she put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him deeply, her hands sliding into his hair as she pulled him closer.

Whatever he'd been expecting when they started for the cave, it wasn't this, and he was too shocked to do anything more than react and react passionately. Almost unconsciously, Diego backed her against the wall, his hands sliding up her sides to hold her high on her waist just barely keeping himself from reaching higher, though he couldn't resist kissing his way down her neck to her shoulders and around the upper edge of her shirt.

Diego let the moment consume him. He took in everything, his blood hammering wildly in his ears, the way she smelled, the way she tasted, the way she tugged at him, almost frantically, trying to draw him in closer and closer. Even though he knew it was wrong, he couldn't help letting his mind carry the two of them away somewhere more intimate, somewhere like his room.

The bare remnants of his self control were not helped with the way her hands held him close or her lips nibbled at his ear. She pulled at his head, her lips sliding across his cheek to his lips for another deep kiss. It was only when he felt Victoria pulling at the buttons of his shirt that he managed to end the kiss and take a step away from her.

"Victoria..." Her name came out as a whisper.

"I'm sorry," she said, eyes dropping, as she sat down on the top step and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Sitting beside her, Diego said, "There's no need to be sorry; it's just that it's very hard for me to behave... to think... when you kiss me like that."

She leaned slightly against him and spoke quietly. "It's hard for me to think too, but..." She looked across the cave. "I didn't want you to think that I only kissed like that you because you were dressed as Zorro."

He couldn't stop the laugh that burst out, and her head snapped around with an offended look. He hastened to explain. "No, querida, it's not you; it's just that I've been wondering if I behaved the way I did because I was wearing a mask. You have always been very tempting, but that night..." He sighed. "I wasn't anything like a gentleman." He smiled a little wryly and carefully took one of her hands in his. "But apparently a mask had nothing to do with it; I wasn't any more of a gentleman a minute ago. In fact, I'd say I was far less of one."

Victoria looked at him with a smile. "Well, my love, I don't think I behaved anything like a lady either." She sighed herself. "I don't suppose this is going to get any easier the closer we get to getting married."

"No, it's not," he replied. "Especially since I don't think I can give up kissing you."

"I would certainly hope not," Victoria said, with determination.

Diego looked down at their hands. "We'll just have to be more careful. In the overall scheme of things, five months isn't so very long." He was trying to sound confident but knew he sounded completely insincere. At the moment, five months felt like an eternity— a very painful, temptation filled eternity. "But as pleasant and as frustrating as that is, I don't think that's the reason we came down here."

"No, we do need to talk," Victoria said. "I'm sorry if I made things awkward."

"I wish I was sorry," Diego said. "I _am_ sorry about getting carried away. I'm never sorry for kissing you." He turned to smile at her. "But for now it's safer to have that talk. I did promise to tell about Zorro's misadventures, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Victoria said. "But that's not the only thing that we need to talk about."

"Really?" Diego asked. "What else is on your mind?"

"Did you ever find the notes I left?" Victoria asked.

Diego glanced toward the desk. "As a matter of fact, I did, but not until I got back home after seeing you in the tavern yesterday." He'd been so concerned about getting to Santa Paula that he hadn't even noticed them while he was making his change in the cave.

"And by then they were useless," Victoria said evenly. "This has been an unusual week. However, this may not be the last time that you and Felipe are officially out of town while Zorro appears, and I think we need to figure out how I can get information to you without endangering any of us."

"You have a point," Diego said. "I did wish I could have had the chance to talk to you _before_ I'd embarked on that misguided rescue of Señora Sinestra. And I should have thought to check the cave and see if you'd left a message for me."

"Well, you were busy," Victoria said. "And we've never been in this situation before. Why should you expect it?"

"I know how resourceful you are, my love. I certainly should have expected it," Diego said. "So we need a better system. Do you have any suggestions?"

"For information, I thought I could leave my journal in the tavern pantry. I never write anything dangerous, but if you need the information, it would be there."

"Yes, that could help," Diego said. "Perhaps we could work on some kind of basic signals. Something more subtle than Felipe's signs that we could use for any kind of warnings."

"I think that's a good idea. We shouldn't need many as I hope we're not going to have this problem often," Victoria said.

"I certainly hope not as well. It's awkward to pull off," Diego said. "It does help distance the two of us a bit, but it's not ideal. However, we should have a little time at least to settle all the details."

"Good." Victoria smiled at him and put her other hand on top of his. "Now, my fine caballero, it's time for you to tell me all about Zorro's time with Señora Sinestra."

"Since you insist," Diego said reluctantly. Much as he hated the idea, he considered it his penance for being a fool. He was relieved that Victoria hadn't doubted his faithfulness to her. This was one time when he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd been angry with him. He was certainly angry with himself.

"I do insist," Victoria replied. "I want to know if I should have hit that... that... _woman_ harder."

"You hit her hard enough, my love," Diego said. He'd been impressed with the strength in that punch.

"But I didn't deal with her attack very well," Victoria said. "I should have handled that better. If you hadn't been there..."

Diego's head dropped as his guilt rose again. "I'm so sorry."

Victoria twisted to face him and reached up to turn his face toward her. "It wasn't your fault, and I didn't say that to make you feel guilty. What I _was_ thinking was that I need some help improving my self defense skills. I need to be able to respond better, and who better than you to teach me?"

Diego looked at her a long moment before responding. He remembered the feeling of panic as he'd seen that woman attacking Victoria. If he'd been a moment later... He tried to erase the thought that if Sinestra had killed Victoria, he would surely have killed her, female or not. "You're right, of course," he finally said. "Much as I'd always like to be at your side, I can't, and I want you to be able to protect yourself as best you can." He recalled Victoria's use of the stool to protect herself and some of the fights he'd seen her in. He also remembered his father telling him what an excellent shot she was. "You have quite a few skills, but I think we can improve them. We'll just have to find the time. Also, I think Felipe's experience will come in handy since he's closer to your height, and well, different sizes require different techniques."

"I'd like that," Victoria said. "We'll find the time. Somehow." Then she looked at him with a smile. "However, right now I'm still waiting for the story of that wicked woman and Zorro. No more distractions."

"No, no more distractions," Diego replied. He proceeded to tell her what happened, trying to be as brief as possible, an effort that was in vain as she was relentless in her pursuit of specific details, though it wasn't as painful as it could have been, as she seemed moved more to pity for him than anger at him.

When she was finally satisfied that she had the whole story, she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips and whispered, "Now, I don't think I hit her hard enough."

~Z~Z~Z~

Four days later, Señor Ventura insisted he was more than ready to travel and was determined to take Señora Sinestra back to San Diego where she could stand trial for her last murder. De Soto detailed two lancers to accompany them to be sure that nothing happened on the journey. Jacinto Santana had left two days before on the last coach, after he'd been assured that a messenger had already been sent ahead to inform the presidio of the identity of his father's killer.

Diego had spent most of his time in town since the day after he'd "returned" from his trip, and he watched the group leave as he stood on the tavern porch next to Mendoza, who'd been talking about how strange it was that Señora Sinestra was a murderer. He said she'd seemed so lovely and innocent.

Trying to keep things light, especially since he'd fallen for her innocent act himself, Diego said, "You know, Sergeant, I thinks there's a lesson to be learned from all of this. For all the allure of physical beauty, we should remember that it's only skin deep." And in Sinestra's case barely skin deep, as she had a truly horrifying soul. Even yet he didn't understand what had motivated the woman to do all that she had done.

"This is true, Don Diego. That's why I always say, 'What counts is not how a woman looks, but how a woman cooks,'" Mendoza said. Diego did a double take after absorbing what Mendoza said, but before he could come up with anything, Mendoza added, "You know, you are really lucky, Don Diego. Señorita Escalante is not only beautiful but the best cook in the territory as well."

"Not to mention, honest, courageous, forgiving, passionate, and perfect," Diego replied. The woman he loved was safe and for some reason loved him despite his flaws. He looked over at the tavern where he caught a glimpse of Victoria through the open doors, busily attending to her customers.

"Yes, Sergeant, I really am incredibly lucky."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A Woman Scorned" is one of the episodes that always bothered me. There are more than a couple of episodes where it seems like they were ticking off story plots without bothering to have them make sense. "A New Lease on Love" was what if Victoria almost married another man, without giving any kind of solid reason why she'd decide that so quickly. Actually, that one might have worked if they'd dropped the guitar playing suitor and had Juan show up right after the talk with Padre Benites and given us some reason why she'd be willing to accept his proposal or if she and Zorro had had a fight. Or something.
> 
> But to get back to "A Woman Scorned," which seemed to want to be what if Zorro was drawn to another woman (or maybe what if Victoria thought she was losing Zorro, which admittedly came off better), except that other than that one moment in the plaza where he turned back to speak to her while ignoring Victoria, he never seemed any more than distinctly uncomfortable with Alberta Sinestra's approaches, and his rescue of her seemed to be exactly in the same spirit as his rescue of Jacinto Santana. After all this wouldn't have been the first time someone had impersonated an officer of the law in order to get hold of an otherwise innocent person ("To Be a Man" being a genuine case), so I can't entirely blame him for not wanting to leave her in Ventura's custody. And to top off the confusion for me, while the actress carried off crazy well enough, she certainly didn't come off as a femme fatale except in the literal sense. However, the kiss between Zorro and Victoria at the end was one of the best in the series so at least there is one redeeming feature to the episode, and I couldn't resist keeping the scene in her bedroom, even if the context is different and there's definitely more kissing.
> 
> Although the interiors looked quite different, the exterior shots of the windmills in "One Special Night" and "A Woman Scorned" look exactly the same, so that's why they're the same in this story. Victoria also went through more wardrobe changes than seem justified by the apparent passage of time, though there probably could have been an extra day in there somewhere, but for me it didn't work, though that meant poor Diego/Zorro ended up being mostly awake for about three days straight.
> 
> I also hope no one minds that I made Señora Sinestra's advances to Zorro a little bit more blatant than in the episode, since he wasn't at all interested in them. Or that Victoria is not jealous but suspicious that Sinestra wants the bounty on Zorro's head, but since here, unlike in the episode, she not only knows who Zorro is, but she and Diego are also only months away from getting married, she has every reason to trust him and more reason to worry about him getting suckered by his chivalrous nature. And I thought Victoria's fainting in the episode was a bit odd actually, so no fainting here and since Ventura heard the confession as well, no real need to bring Zorro into it any further.
> 
> Next up: an Interlude between this and the episode "They Call Her Annie"


	20. Games and Gifts (Between "A Woman Scorned" and "They Call Her Annie")

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria and Diego play a game, and Don Alejandro has a gift for Victoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not from any episode, as when I was trying to write the "They Call Her Annie" story, I had three unconnected things I wanted to deal with and realized that it would be better to split them into different short stories, to make things easier and to keep the overarching story moving along before we get to the heftier stories at the end of the season. In any case, this story is almost pure fluff.

Victoria was visiting the hacienda the afternoon that Don Alejandro was expected back from his trip to Doña Catalina. Diego had convinced her to take a few days to recover from the injury inflicted on her by Señora Sinestra, though really he was looking for any excuse to spend time with her while things were quiet.

She was wearing a new dress which was quite enchanting in the way it hugged her figure, and he was starting to wonder if she knew how distracting it was when she leaned over the chessboard. Considering how flirtatious their game had become, he suspected that she was very aware of it. Neither of them really cared who won, as they weren't exactly taking their play seriously.

Today they were playing chess rather like they used to back when she had first learned the game. She'd been nine, very determined, and he was the only one willing to teach her. For some reason, it hadn't been enough for her to know which pieces moved which way, but she also wanted to know why they moved the way they did. He hadn't known, but he was at an age where he wasn't going to let that stop him, and between the two of them they created an elaborate story of kings and queens and knights and bishops. She'd never really mastered chess strategy, but they'd still managed to enjoy the game.

Today's game was a battle set in the days of Robin Hood, using as opposing kings Richard and John. It had taken them some time to decide which side would be white and which black, though they finally decided that since white was the aggressor in the game, that it would be the proper side for the Sheriff of Nottingham. Victoria naturally chose to play black, and Diego teased her about setting up the oppressors for victory.

"Oh, but you wouldn't want the villains to triumph, just so you could win a game, would you?" Victoria teased him.

"Well, as I'm playing the villains' side, I certainly should try to do my best. After all, it's up to the heroes to prove their mettle," Diego said, teasing her back.

"I'll just have to rely on my own cunning then," Victoria said.

"And your tendency to act in such a way as to defy anticipation," Diego replied.

While Victoria was a middling player with her tendency to move pieces impulsively without a particular strategy in mind, her unpredictability occasionally had her almost accidentally triumph over more deliberate game play. Having an afternoon alone, they didn't hurry their game, having more fun spinning tales of the various skirmishes between the opposing parties than moving the pieces in an almost unrelated way. Don Alejandro would never have had the patience to watch such a game, and they certainly wouldn't have flirted quite so blatantly in front of him. At least they would have avoided the more blatant caresses between moves or the many innuendos they both managed to weave into their story telling. After all, they would have wanted to appear more innocent in front of his father.

"I notice that Marian seems to be doing most of the plotting," Diego said, as they took a brief break from their story weaving.

"Well, the queen is the most powerful piece on the board," Victoria said.

"Very true, and unlike you, I have Sir Guy in that place, and he doesn't seem to know how to wield his powers very well, in comparison," he said, then added with a smile. "Though I might wonder why Marian seems to be teasing her enemy's knight."

Victoria put on a tone of mock outrage. "She is not _teasing_ him; she's _insulting_ him."

"A bit like Beatrice did Benedick," Diego replied. "What's the difference here?"

"Intent," Victoria replied evenly. "But then again, if you didn't insist on making him so wickedly charming that it's more fun insulting him than fighting him..."

"Is that why Robin seems to spend most of his time fighting the Sheriff and trying to free King Richard?"

"Well, it could be that it's easier to indulge in word play rather than describe sword play, my love," Victoria said.

"So you're playing to your strengths," he said. "And they are charming ones at that." He pulled her hand to his lips for a kiss and then continued holding it as he returned it to the table.

Victoria smiled at him. Diego glanced down at the board before looking back up at her with a glint in his eye. "I believe it's your turn and your move. So shall we continue with the cat and mouse game between Maid Marian and Sir Guy at the castle or return to the game of hide and seek between Robin and the Sheriff in the Forest."

"We'll stick to the cat and mouse game," Victoria said. "I'm very curious to see how you— ahem, Sir Guy— intend to counter my next move."

"Do you think he really wants to?" Diego said with a sly grin.

Victoria returned a smile of her own before directing his attention back to the board. "Now where were we?"

"I believe Sir Guy had just sent off a messenger..."

"Oh, yes, and found Maid Marian outside the door..."

"Exactly, which leads to my turn." Victoria moved her queen. "Check."

Diego looked at the board. "So what did she do?"

"Well..." Victoria began, but stopped when she heard the front door open.

They both looked to the door and saw Felipe coming in and signing to Diego.

"Father's back," Diego interpreted out of habit. "And he wants both of us to meet him by the stables. He has something he wants us to see."

"Both of us?" Victoria asked.

Felipe nodded.

"Tell him we'll be there in a minute," Diego said. "We just have one thing to finish up here."

Shrugging, Felipe turned and headed back out the door.

Diego stood up and held out his hand to Victoria. With a glance at the board, he said, "I don't think we're going to be able to finish this. Should I resign? After all, you're right that it would be a pity for evil to triumph."

"Or we could just call it a draw and the end of the first part of the story. We can always continue with a new game another day," Victoria said as she took his hand and stood.

"I like that. After all, I still want to know what she was going to do."

"And I'd like to know what Sir Guy would have done."

"But for now I suppose we should see what it is that Father is so eager to show us."

The two of them headed for the door, but just before Diego opened it he turned and pulled Victoria in for a brief but passionate kiss. "Sorry, but I've been wanting to do that all afternoon and didn't know when I'd get another chance."

"You're forgiven as long as you sincerely try to find time to do that again."

"You can count on it."

~Z~Z~Z~

Don Alejandro was standing outside the corral near the stables when the two of them arrived and greeted them both warmly.

"Victoria, I was glad to hear that you were here. How on earth did my son convince you to take a day off?"

Victoria smiled up at Diego. "He was very persuasive and convinced me that I was working too hard and that the tavern wouldn't break down if I took off an extra day or two."

"Good to see you're putting your love of words to good use," Alejandro said.

"You're home early, Father," Diego said, not at all sure how to respond to that. "We didn't expect you until dinner."

"We started out early. I didn't want to give Aunt Catalina the chance to change her mind."

"About what?" Victoria asked.

Diego, taking in his father's expression, said, "Don't tell me you convinced her to sell one of her prize horses."

"Yes, finally, I did," Alejandro said cheerfully as he led them to the corral where they saw a beautiful dappled-gray Andalusian mare with a black mane walking about. The horse looked almost silver in the sunlight.

"Father, is that Fortuna?" Diego asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, indeed," Alejandro said.

"I thought she was meant to go to Lucretia," Diego said.

"Well, despite Aunt Catalina's and her father's best efforts, Lucretia is still not much of a horsewoman, and Fortuna is a bit more spirited than she can handle," Alejandro said, gleefully.

Diego and his father watched Fortuna canter along the edge of the corral, circling one way then the other, stopping periodically to allow Victoria to stroke her muzzle and gently pat her side.

"It took some persuasion," Alejandro continued, "but between the bargaining and the explanation of just why I wanted her, I finally got her agreement."

"And exactly why did you want her?" Diego asked.

Alejandro did not answer. He simply smiled broadly and motioned for his son to follow him. "So what do you think, Victoria?" Alejandro asked as he walked up next to her.

"Oh, she is the most beautiful animal I've ever seen," Victoria declared.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Because she is yours now."

"Mine?" Victoria looked shocked.

"Yes. A gift from me to you in honor of your wedding," Don Alejandro said.

Victoria's eyes were wide. Leaning back against the fence, she was startled when Fortuna nuzzled her shoulder.

"And it seems she knows she's yours," Alejandro said, laughing. "She's one of the cleverest horses I've seen next to Zorro's Toronado, and according to Aunt Catalina perfectly suited to a lady of spirit and determination. I told her there was no one better suited than my future daughter-in-law. She finally agreed and sealed the bargain." Alejandro grinned. "Aunt Catalina's always liked you; it wasn't that difficult to convince her."

"But I imagine she still extracted a generous exchange from you," Diego replied.

"Your Aunt Catalina certainly does know the value of a good horse, particularly one as excellent as Fortuna."

"Don Alejandro, this... this is too much," Victoria said, eyes suspiciously moist. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," he said. "You're finally, officially going to be my daughter. You need a proper mount. I would have waited until closer to the wedding, but... well, I've never been a patient man."

"I've noticed," Victoria smiled. Then she crossed to give him a hug. "Thank you, Don Alejandro. I don't deserve it, but thank you."

Alejandro returned her hug. "You are more than welcome."

Diego eased up next to his father. "She certainly is amazing," he observed as he watched Fortuna prance back and forth in front of Victoria.

"Yes," Alejandro gave Diego a knowing look and cast a glance at Victoria. "She most definitely is."

~Z~Z~Z~

With Don Alejandro now home, Victoria was willing to spend the night rather than go back into town. She wasn't sure why she found it surprising that it took so little persuasion to agree to that or to stay most of the next day as well in order to get better acquainted with Fortuna. Despite her concerns about the future of the tavern, she was becoming far more willing to leave others in charge in order to spend more time at her future home with her family.

Supper was spent hearing about Don Alejandro's trip and telling him about what had happened while he was away. He was fascinated by the story of Jacinto Santana and Alberta Sinestra, though both Victoria and Diego downplayed Sinestra's attempt on her life. Victoria didn't want Alejandro to worry too much about her safety. She was grateful that her long sleeves hid her nearly healed arm.

"So Zorro _can_ be fooled by a pretty face," Don Alejandro said. "I wondered when he'd show an interest in someone new. Pity she was a murderer."

"Father, I don't think he was interested in doing anything more than helping someone he thought was unjustly accused," Diego said, trying to disguise his discomfort, while Victoria couldn't help but be a little amused by his squirming. "He's always been courteous in his dealings with women. Besides he did the exact same thing for Señor Santana. I don't see the difference except in making a mistake about the innocence of one of them."

"You don't, Diego? Really?" his father asked, chuckling in disbelief.

"No, Father, I don't," Diego said firmly. "Though I must admit I wish he'd thought more carefully about making that particular mistake." Victoria could tell that he was still angry with himself while trying to keep from letting his father know. "It does the man's reputation no good to free criminals, no matter his good intentions."

"It shows the man's human, Diego," Alejandro said. "It may not be the best thing for the legend, but it does show that there's a man behind the mask."

"A fact I'm sure he would rather his enemies overlook," Diego said evenly.

"I think that when confronted by the man in black, they are more concerned with their own humanity," Victoria said, trying to reassure Diego. "Besides, what's most important is that because of him, an innocent man was freed. I don't think the señora would have confessed without his mistaken rescue."

"You're right, Victoria," Alejandro said. "We should make sure to focus on his successes, especially in public, though for him it's best if _he_ remembers that he's only a man and to be cautious with the ladies. Under the right conditions, they can be more dangerous to his health than any bandit."

"I very much doubt that Zorro will let himself be fooled the same way again," Diego replied.

Victoria could see that Diego was getting more annoyed and in order to turn the conversation, asked Alejandro about his trip to Doña Catalina's. Don Alejandro was more than happy to detail all the news of the family, and the conversation lasted the rest of the way through dinner.

After dinner, Don Alejandro excused himself saying that he was tired from the journey and said he would see them at breakfast. Victoria and Diego went to sit on the sofa in the library. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Alone again," she said softly. "That was very considerate of your father."

"Yes," Diego replied. "Though I think he really was tired. They had to have started ridiculously early to get here when they did." He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "He's really looking forward to seeing you ride Fortuna tomorrow." His lips slid over her temple and down to her cheek, then he stopped. "Do you have a riding outfit here, or do you need to get one from the tavern? I haven't been paying attention to what's in your wardrobe here."

"True, but do you ever notice what I'm wearing?" Victoria teased.

Diego kissed her. "I always notice what your wearing." He looked over her dress. "Did I forget to tell you how lovely you look in your new dress?"

Victoria smiled wickedly. "Oh, you expressed appreciation, my love, just not with words, so I wasn't sure if it was my dress or my neckline that was receiving the attention."

"Señorita Escalante!" Diego exclaimed as if shocked. "Are you accusing me of improper intentions?"

" _You_ , of course not," Victoria said with equal insincerity. "I'm sure your intentions are all that are proper... ." she lowered her voice, "if we were already married."

"If only we were," Diego whispered, kissing her cheek. He sighed. "To get back to the question, do you have a riding outfit here?"

"As a matter of fact I do. A new one finished just last week. I had wondered why your father insisted on having that completed earlier as well as the new pair of boots. And now I know. Did you suspect it?"

"I did. Though he hasn't really talked to me about it, I knew he was looking at horses with an eye for one for you, but I never expected him to bring home one of Aunt Catalina's prize mares. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Father can be very single-minded and determined when he's after something specific."

"I've noticed. It's a trait you share with him, even when you try to hide it."

Diego kissed her hand. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

"Now it's a good thing," Victoria said. "There have been times when it's been a problem." Victoria turned more towards him. "However, right now, I'd rather take advantage of our solitude," she wrapped her arms around his neck, "and any improper intentions you may have."

~Z~Z~Z~

Some time later, Victoria entered the guest room that seemed to become more her own every time she stayed. The wardrobe was rapidly filling with new clothes as well as older clothes that had been brought or left on other occasions. It also seemed as if Diego managed to slip in a new gift for her comfort at every visit. This time it was new brush set, along with some combs for her hair. She smiled as she picked up the brush. At this rate by the time she and Diego married, she would have more of her things at the hacienda than the tavern, and all she'd need to do is have her things moved down the hall rather than from town.

She knew that Alejandro wouldn't mind if she did move in. He'd more than hinted at it on occasion, but she couldn't leave the tavern yet. At least not until she found an appropriate manager and got him or her or them properly settled into the job. Diego hadn't given his opinion on the subject, but he often seemed reluctant to discuss the changes they'd be making in the future. He'd skirt around the subject, while still doing things like making this room more comfortable and welcoming. He was willing to help her try to find a manager but seemed reluctant to say what he might want her to do. Sometime soon, she'd have to corner him and find out what it is he really wanted from their marriage.

For now, though, she was content to simply enjoy being in her future home, feeling the love of family.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right now I'm clearing the brush on some things I feel should be happening. This is the first with Don Alejandro giving his future daughter a truly magnificent horse (I'm sorry that I don't know enough about horses to make this work better). I also wanted Diego and Victoria to have fun together, but I wanted to do something a little difference, hence their loose chess-playing, round robin story telling game that gives them a chance to flirt in other ways to try in some part to make up for my ignorance of horses.
> 
> Next up: a story set after "They Call Her Annie."


	21. Practice Makes Perfect (After They Call Her Annie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A time for lessons and discussions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story makes reference to slightly altered events from the episode "They Call Her Annie" written by Robert L. McCullough.

"Are you sure you really want to do this, Victoria?" Diego asked.

"Of course," she replied with complete assurance. "I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't. Diego, I trust you."

"It's not just a matter of trust," Diego said. "While I agree with you, I'm a little concerned about the possibility of accidents. I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you."

Victoria slid her arms up around his neck. "Diego, accidents happen, and I'd rather take that risk than..." She stopped as she saw the expression in his eyes as his arms tightened around her waist. Pulling his head down to hers, she kissed him.

Some time later, Diego finally murmured in her ear, "You really like playing with fire, my love."

"Of course. I'm a cook," Victoria said, smiling brightly, her face flushed. "It's what I do."

"Don't you ever get afraid of being burned?"

"Not really, though there's always a risk. But then I'm not the one who goes up against armed men with a sword and a ready wit. I think there's far more risk there."

"But ultimately neither is what we're really talking about, is it?"

"No, so stop stalling. I'm your willing, if not first, pupil," Victoria said.

"I wouldn't exactly call that stalling, my love," Diego said. "At least not the last part. You started that."

"So I did," Victoria replied. "But you seemed to need encouragement."

"And you are very encouraging. However..." He paused.

"However, what?" Victoria asked.

He drew her tight against him and looked in her eyes. "However, I think that kind of encouragement is going to be an added distraction to accomplishing our purposes. How will we be able to work on your self defense skills then?"

Victoria played with the collar of his shirt while looking up with him. "For this first lesson, would the occasional distraction be such a bad thing?" She grinned at him. "We don't have to be completely serious if we're on our own, do we?"

Diego gently ran his fingers down her cheek. "I suppose not. But perhaps we should start with business and leave the pleasure for later."

"I'm ready if you are," Victoria replied.

They had ridden out to the same area that they'd had their last picnic at, though they'd taken a longer more circuitous route. It had the advantage of being somewhat isolated but within easy distance of the hacienda if they needed to get there. The ground was also relatively flat and soft enough to cushion any falls, when it came to that. However, that wasn't the purpose for today.

"All right then," Diego said. "I thought the best place to start would be some basic principles of unarmed self-defense, since that's where you are at your most vulnerable. Some I know you're already familiar with, others might need refining, and a few might be new to you."

"It sounds very... methodical," Victoria replied.

"I'm a very methodical man," Diego said. "I always have been. It helps temper the impulsive side of my nature."

"I'm fond of both sides," Victoria said. "It explains why you still fascinated me even when I thought I was in love with Zorro." She looked up at him and into his clear blue eyes. How had she not known? "I can't believe I was fooled so long."

He grinned at her. "Can I help it if I'm a clever actor?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"More like too clever by half," Victoria muttered. "But shall we get back to the business at hand?"

They stood facing each other, hands now at their sides. Looking her over with what he hoped seemed more of a dispassionate evaluation than a passionate survey, he tried to compose himself in order to get through what to him was the most embarrassing yet essential part of the lesson. He took a deep breath. "I thought we'd start with strike points. The best places to hit in order to disorient if not cripple an attacker long enough for you to get away." He looked past the top of her head, hoping that he could get through this bit. "To start with," he hesitated, "I believe you already know the most vulnerable target on a man."

Though he wasn't exactly looking at her eyes, he could swear her glance flicked downward for a moment before she said with a hint of a smile in her voice, "Diego, I grew up with two brothers, and what I didn't learn from them, I learned from Abuelita when she decided to teach me how to deal with unwanted attentions. She was very... blunt."

Diego thought back to Abuelita; she had been a fierce woman when roused, with the power to make a grown man cower with a simple look. "I imagine she was. So I think we'll move on to other targets." He looked her over. "To start from the bottom. With your size, weight and usual choice of footwear, I don't think foot stomping will do you much good unless your attacker is small or has an injured foot. Ankles and knees are better targets."

He moved around behind her. "Those targets are easy enough to attack from the front, but if you're grabbed from behind, " Diego wrapped his arms around her, "you will want to drive a heel back hard." For several moments, he held her, waiting for her to go through the motions of mounting a defense but she remained still. "Victoria?"

"Yes?"

"This is where you would you defend yourself."

She leaned her head back against his chest and moved her hands up to gently caress his arms. "I'm getting to it," she purred.

Diego drew a deep breath, "I think I'm starting to lose focus."

"Strange," Victoria replied. "I'm having no trouble paying very close attention."

"Perhaps we should move on to some other methods of escaping when someone grabs you," Diego said, even though he realized that would probably be more distracting, but at the moment it didn't seem to matter as they'd gone on nearly long enough for a first lesson.

"That would be very helpful," Victoria said, then she looked thoughtful. "In fact, I'd really like to know how I could have gotten out of De Soto's grip the other day when he was trying to stop me from warning you that our _schoolteacher_ might shoot you in the back."

There was a certain contempt in her voice that surprised Diego. He'd heard all about Annie Smith from his father when he'd "returned" from his trip, and his father seemed to admire her ambitions for law enforcement once she'd given up the hunt for Zorro, and he'd thought that Victoria admired her for taking an unconventional career path rather than simply fulfilling expectations.

"Are you still upset that Señorita Smith was trying to shoot Zorro for the bounty?" Diego asked. "She did the right thing... in the end anyway."

"I know she did, and I suppose I should like her for that, but..." Victoria sighed. "She's the second woman in a month who's wanted to kill you. At least it really _was_ for the bounty rather than because you didn't want her. However, she did pretend she wanted to meet you for romantic reasons and asked me to introduce you." Victoria rolled her eyes. "As if I'd believe that or act as a matchmaker if I did, though obviously your father would have been willing to play that part to listen to him yesterday."

"I noticed," Diego said wryly. "Apparently, in one form or another he isn't planning on giving up the job. I'm not sure I want to know why he thought she'd do Zorro any good. In any event, I am grateful it was you she approached instead. What did you tell her?"

"I did tell her that Zorro isn't particularly interested in women who try to kill him."

Diego grinned. "No, he's partial to loyal and determined women who throw themselves into danger, and one of those is enough for any man's lifetime. Besides, Zorro has taken a vow of chastity, and no other woman is going to get his attention for anything more than the barest courtesies or rescues, obviously." Then seeing the still dark expression on her face said more seriously, "Señorita Smith may have started out with the notion of shooting a bandit for the bounty, but in the end, she changed her mind about him."

"That was only after you saved her life. Before that she didn't care if you were guilty or innocent, that you were our best defense against oppression. She was willing to kill you for money. I find it difficult to forgive her that."

"But she didn't, and perhaps when she said she didn't care, she was trying more to convince herself than anyone else."

"'The lady doth protest too much, me thinks'?" Victoria quoted.

"Very likely. After all, she clearly cared about Juanita and the other students, and my father said she was trying to earn the money to take care of her father. And when she needed Zorro's help, she seemed to be very determined to believe the worst of him."

"She was a bit cranky that you simply dropped a rope and left, which seems a bit ridiculous for someone who was planning to kill you... unless she had counted on your more gentlemanly behavior," Victoria finished more cynically.

"I'm not _that_ much of a gentleman... at least, not anymore," Diego said, wanting to reassure her that he learned a valuable lesson after the Sinestra incident. "Besides, she was so determined in her declarations, I thought it best to let her help herself, though I would have made sure someone knew where she was if she didn't return to town before us." He leaned forward with the intention of kissing Victoria's cheek, but she turned her head to kiss his lips instead. He pulled her close, wanting to hold her.

"You still _are_ a gentleman," Victoria muttered, tightening her arms around him.

Lifting her up a little, Diego kissed her lightly on the lips before moving towards her ear. "I'm not feeling particularly like a gentleman right now."

Victoria smiled. "Good. I'm not feeling particularly like a lady either."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was leaning against the tree when Diego came back from the stream. When he sat down beside her, she reached out to brush some of his still damp hair out of his face.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked.

He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. "Yes," he replied. "I needed to cool off a bit and go back to being a gentleman again."

Sighing slightly, Victoria moved to lean against him. "Well, in that case, I suppose we should talk of other things." She looked thoughtful. "Did I mention that I finally got a letter from Francisco?"

"No," he said. "You hadn't."

"I suppose I was a bit distracted by other things today," Victoria said, playing slightly with the ruffle at the end of his sleeve.

"As was I." He bent and kissed the top of her head. "So what did he have to say?"

"He's being assigned to the presidio in San Diego, and he's sure he'll be able to take enough leave to come to our wedding. Also, he thinks Ramón may be in Mexico but he's not sure as he hasn't heard from him in some time either." Staring towards the stream, she continued, "He also assures me that he has no interest in the tavern and whatever we decide is fine with him. He also believes that Ramón would agree with him, as the last time they talked about it, they both agreed that it was the best way for me to retain my independence and provide for my future."

"That is what you expected to hear, isn't it?" he asked. Something seemed to be troubling her.

Victoria still didn't look at him as she answered. "Yes, and I expect that Ramón will say the same if I ever get a letter from him."

Diego took her hand in his. "What is bothering you, Victoria?"

Glancing at him for a moment, before looking back at the stream, Victoria spoke with a sigh, "There are so many decisions to make. I know you've said the tavern is mine to decide about, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. However..." She trailed off.

"However?" Diego prompted with some concern.

"We're going to be married, and like it or not this will be a joint concern with many changes that we both will need to face." Victoria sighed. "We've never really talked about what we both want from our marriage, though your father has hinted strongly at some of the things he'd like..." She laughed slightly. "Beyond the grandchildren he's been mentioning to you since almost the day you returned from Spain."

"He hasn't started on you, has he?" Diego asked.

"No, but he doesn't have to; his feelings have never been hidden," Victoria said. "So can we start with what you'd like from our marriage? Beyond the obvious." She brushed at his still damp hair. "I want to know what kind of life you'd like for us to live. And be honest with me. Don't say what you think I want to hear; you might be surprised at what I think."

Now it was Diego's turn to sigh. He leaned his head back and stared at the sky. "I don't want to be unfair to you... or my father."

"It's not unfair to tell your dreams. I'll tell you mine, and then I'm sure between them we can forge a dream that will work for us both."

Diego bent over and kissed Victoria quickly. "You always seem to have the right words whenever I need them, my love," he said. "I know I've avoided talking about this when I shouldn't." He took a deep breath. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Not too long ago, I was thinking how I never seem to have enough time. Zorro never seems to be able to rest, and I have work for him even when he's not called out. There's the newspaper and the responsibilities of the ranch and..."

"Me," Victoria said.

Diego kissed her hand. "But you are a pleasure not a duty, and you make my life so much better. I think I'd like for us to build our lives at the ranch. I don't mean abdicating our responsibilities to others, but I do want to take more of the burden from my father. If you're willing, I'd like to see you taking over the household and the bookkeeping (you've a good head for figures). I'd also like you to learn all the workings of the ranch so that in case of emergencies you can take over the full responsibility without any difficulty."

"You have a lot of faith in me, but I still don't think that's your dream," Victoria said.

"The problem with dreams is that they rarely survive contact with the real world," Diego said. He closed his eyes. "I can't even be sure what my ideal dream would be, but right now I can say is that I'd love to find time enough for everything— for us to find peace in our home and our family while not giving up the things we love. I hope we have many children but not so many as to endanger your health or peace of mind. I want to be able to keep the newspaper going as well as my experiments and studies. I want you to be able to keep the tavern going the way you want without having to be exhausted by it. I think I want whichever of our children is most interested to be able to take them on eventually. I want Felipe to stop pretending to be deaf and become an official part of our family. I want my father to be able to do less without being concerned that everything he built will fall apart without him. I...", his voice trailed off and he looked off thoughtfully.

"What, Diego?"

"I want to not have to hide who I am without giving away Zorro's secret— I can't believe I ever thought I wanted a public unmasking. Maybe I'm asking for too much."

"I don't think that's all too much to ask. Difficult perhaps," Victoria said, leaning against him. "It's very much what I want too, though I've been wondering about the tavern lately."

"Really?"

"I suppose it's Francisco's letter that really brought it out." Victoria brushed a bit of grass from her skirt. "I mean both my brothers have always seen the tavern as my legacy, not theirs. Something to support me and keep me independent, as well as be my dowry whenever I chose to marry." She looked out at the river, pausing for a moment. "Escalantes have always been fighters. Papa was a soldier before he married Mama, but he resigned because she didn't approve of the army. She thought there were better ways to fight. The tavern was for her too. A better way to support the family, to have a home." Victoria sighed. "I suppose it was no surprise that after Mama died, Papa couldn't stay, that he went back to fighting, this time on another side. My brothers took after him. I don't think either will ever want to settle down in one place. I don't think any of them truly thought of Los Angeles as home the way I do."

"The way we both do," Diego interjected gently. There was a reason Zorro kept his secrets and Diego his. The land was as much in his blood as hers, and he didn't want to have to leave it unprotected. "But I'm still unsure what you're thinking about the tavern."

"I'm not sure myself. I'm not sure what to do about it. I've held onto it so long, and it has given me the independence that my father and brothers expected. It's also been a way to stand against greedy alcaldes," Victoria said, then stopped a moment. "Well, Ramone mostly. His greed was of a different kind than De Soto's. I don't think De Soto particularly cares to try to exploit our only public meeting place."

"That's true," Diego said slowly. "So, are you saying that you're not sure if you want to keep the tavern for the long term?"

"Yes," Victoria said. "On the one hand, it's too important to let go, but on the other..." She sighed again.

"Well, there's no reason to make any decision quickly. I understand both feeling a responsibility and being frustrated with it at the same time. The first step is to find a competent manager. Once you have one in place, then you can decide how involved or uninvolved you want to be, or even if you want to sell it eventually."

"If I can even find a manager," Victoria said. "Are you sure you don't know anyone?"

Diego shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said. "Although... my father indicated that he might know someone who might do. He was waiting for a reply to a letter before speaking to you, so I can't be sure about that."

Victoria looked up at Diego. "So we're still at a stalemate."

"We'll find a solution. If not now then by the time we're married. But you haven't really told me what you want," Diego prompted.

"I haven't?" Victoria sounded surprised. "Very much the same as what you want. I want us to be able to live in peace in a just pueblo. I want us to share our lives together and have many children to fill our home. I don't want you to have to disguise yourself in any way, and the only family secrets be things like presents and other pleasant surprises," She smiled at him.

"That would indeed be a dream come true," Diego said. "And speaking of presents— I actually have one for you today. Wait here." Clambering to his feet, Diego disappeared behind the tree only to appear again a minute later carrying a small chamois-wrapped bundle.

Sitting back down next to her, he proffered her the bundle. "It's not really a proper present," he said, as she took it from him and began to unfold the cloth. "I've been trying to think of something you could carry with you— to protect yourself— and this seemed the best choice."

Victoria was looking at a slender folding knife, a _navaja_ , about four inches long closed. Opening it Victoria was impressed with the craftsmanship. It looked delicate but felt anything but.

"I know you're comfortable with using knives in the kitchen, and I can teach you the best ways to fight with this," he said. "And it's small enough that it can fit in your skirt pockets, so it's easy to carry."

Carefully, she folded the blade closed. She turned it over in her hands a few times, admiring the handle. "It's very... elegant."

"Very often, the most dangerous things are."

" _You_ certainly are," Victoria replied.

"I'd hardly say that," Diego said. "You are far more elegant than I am."

"Me? I'm just a simple tavern owner."

"I think you know that you are far more than just a simple anything," Diego said.

"Well, simple compared to you."

"Oh," Diego smiled, "you think I'm complicated?"

"Most definitely."

"Then I guess I'm lucky that you're fond of complicated things," he said and leaned in for another kiss.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be more episode based, but the truth is I don't like Annie or the episode very much, so that episode is just mentioned in passing. Again this is meant to be light and fluffy with just a touch of seriousness. 
> 
> Next Up: Another Interlude, this one set between "They Call Her Annie" and "The Man Who Cried Wolf."


	22. A New Face in Town (Between They Call Her Annie and The Man Who Cried Wolf)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria's finally ready to hire a manager for the tavern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another in-between story. It takes place not that long after the previous story.

"Ah, Victoria, Diego, you're finally back from your ride," Alejandro said, as they reentered the hacienda. "I wondered if you would make it back in time for lunch."

"I'm sorry, Don Alejandro," Victoria said. "That was my fault. Fortuna is such a wonderful horse, and we lost track of time. It was Diego who reminded me about lunch." That was true, mostly...

They hadn't gone on a ride or at least not as long as they let Alejandro believe. Diego had been giving Victoria another self-defense lesson, this time with Felipe's assistance, which kept them from getting distracted from the actual purpose of the morning. This time he'd managed to finish teaching her all the strike points and some of the best techniques for hitting them. They'd also managed to practice some releases with Felipe demonstrating some that worked best for him. It took most of the morning but was very productive. However, once they finished, Felipe had headed back for the hacienda, leaving them free to indulge a little in a few distractions before returning home.

"That's not quite true," Diego interjected. "I lost track of time as well. After all I was trying to keep up with Victoria." He smiled. "If you'll excuse me, there's something I need to do before lunch." He took Victoria's hand in his for a moment, before turning to disappear down the hall towards his room.

"I should probably go clean up as well," Victoria said.

"Yes, but before you go..." Don Alejandro picked up a letter from the desk. "This morning I received a letter you might find interesting."

"Oh, what about?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know if Diego mentioned it to you. It could have easily slipped his mind as I only mentioned it in passing and had nothing solid to tell him..."

"What is it?" Victoria interjected impatiently.

"Well, with all the feelers I've been putting out for a manager for you, I'd gotten a letter from an old sergeant from one of the regiments that served with mine, Hernando Calvillo. He's the uncle of Adelita Flores. Do you know her?"

"Yes, I know her."

"Well, he's finally retiring, and Adelita and her husband have invited him to come live with them."

"Yes?"

"The sergeant's a good man, but he's not the type meant to work a rancho. He's been most at home in taverns, and I was thinking he might be a good choice for manager. While his financial skills are a bit debatable, he's honest and good-natured but not a pushover and good in a fight and he's got a store of stories to rival Mendoza's with the advantage that most of them are true. Oh, and a great singing voice too."

"That would be a new entertainment," Victoria said. "But would I expect him to drink away my profits?"

"As I seem to recall he had a great love of very cheap wine; maybe he'd be willing to take less pay in exchange for a cask for his own use."

"That might work. I really haven't had much luck finding anyone. Do you know when I might get a chance to meet him?"

"It's hard to say," Alejandro said. "He was going to be starting out about a week after he mailed his last letter, so could be any day now. And he'll probably make a beeline for the tavern first thing, so you can give him a look over before you decide whether or not to make him an offer."

"Thank you," Victoria said. "It's been frustrating trying to find the right person for the job, and he sounds a far better prospect than anyone else I've talked to."

"Good, I've been concerned myself. I know the tavern has been on your mind."

"That and so many other things," Victoria replied. "If you'll excuse me, I should wash up before lunch as well."

Don Alejandro waved her away, and Victoria hurried to her room. While it was true that she wanted to wash away some of the sweat and grime from their earlier exertions, she also wanted to see if Diego had indeed left a mark as he'd threatened in retaliation for the rather prominent bruise she'd left at the point where his shoulder and neck met and which was just barely concealed by the collar of his shirt. She suspected that was the reason he'd hurried away so quickly to his room, in order to assure himself that it was sufficiently hidden.

Victoria refused to feel guilty about it. It was his fault for being so... tempting while behaving so properly during their lesson without being any less distracting than during their first lesson. How was she supposed to concentrate on self-defense when he was holding her? She wondered if it would be easier once they were married and no longer restricted in what they could do together. Maybe. They'd probably have a whole new set of challenges afterwards, but she was looking forward to them.

~Z~Z~Z~

Two days later and Victoria found herself up to her elbows in work in her kitchen on a busier than usual day for her tavern. Besides being a well-attended market day, the stage from San Diego had arrived at the same time as a group of rowdy vaqueros who were also traveling north, and as everyone seemed very hungry, it meant that she could hardly take a moment from the kitchen to see that everything was going well in the main room of the tavern. She was looking forward to siesta and seeing Diego once he'd finished with his newspaper business for the day. She was just glad that it seemed that none of the travelers were planning to stay overnight so that once they were on their way things should certainly slow down.

She had just finished putting some tamales on a plate when Teresa came in. "Victoria, those vaqueros are starting to get rowdy."

Victoria blew out a quick annoyed breath. "Just what we need," she said. "Teresa, take over here, and I'll see what I can do out there."

Teresa nodded.

"Now, who were the tamales for?" she asked.

"The large gentleman sitting next to the vaqueros," the younger woman said.

"Good," Victoria said, loading the tray.

Pausing in front of the curtain, she took a deep breath as she heard the raucous noise coming from the main room. It wasn't the usual noise of her lunchtime crowd. She'd tuned that out while she'd been cooking, and she was frustrated because she should have noticed. Pushing through the curtain, she took a quick look around the room, and practically rolled her eyes when she saw Sepulveda and a couple of the other lancers ignoring the rowdy bunch behind them. It was a pity that Mendoza had already come and gone. He at least had learned to step in when things started spiraling.

But first things first, spotting the man Teresa mentioned surrounded by the overly loud vaqueros, an older man with a round belly who was watching the men warily, Victoria headed over to put the plate in front of him. "Here you go, señor." She shot a glance over to Pilar who was busily avoiding one of the men who was practically following her around the room.

"This looks delicious," the large man said with a broad smile. Victoria turned to go but he reached up to touch her arm. "Señorita Escalante?" He sounded a little unsure of her identity.

"Yes, señor?" she said politely, half her attention on the nearby vaqueros who were busily leering at her over the tops of their mugs.

"I know you're busy, señorita, but when you have time I'd like to talk to you about a matter of business?" He made it sound like a question.

"I'll have some time right before siesta," Victoria said.

As she finished speaking, a vaquero behind him yelled out. "You don't need him for business, señorita. I'm a great man of business."

Another one piped in. "No, me. I'm a much better man of business. I'll take care of all your business."

Victoria turned. "The only business I need is for you to pay for your lunch and drinks."

"Oh, feisty, señorita," the first one said.

If there was anything Victoria hated it was a man calling her feisty. It was always an insult. The degree of insult depended on the man's intentions, but nevertheless it was always insulting. Diego never called her feisty. Passionate but not feisty. But then he'd always treated her differently, and she loved him for that.

Resisting the urge to hit the man with the wine pitcher, Victoria said, "No. Bored. I suggest you pay and move on. I'm sure you have a long way to go today."

"Don't be unfriendly, señorita," the man said, reaching out to her waist.

Victoria stepped back. The man grabbed for her wrist. Before he reached her, another hand grabbed his.

"Señor, there's no need to be touchy," the older man said. "The señorita's right. You've got a long way to go today, and you wouldn't want to get stuck here, pleasant though it is." He glanced around. "I know the soldiers seem quite happy here, but I expect they can get bored too."

Victoria could hear the veiled threat, and she watched as the vaquero picked up on it as well, yet the older man's voice remained quite pleasant and almost innocent sounding. _Almost like Diego's, in fact,_ she thought, _when he's trying to make a point._

The obnoxious vaquero stared at the man for a few moments then with a scowl pulled his hand back before turning to his friends. " _Vámonos, muchachos_. Apparently we've outstayed our welcome." Almost contemptuously he dropped some coins on the table before heading to the door with an affected swagger as if he hadn't just been put in his place by a man twenty years his senior. His companions followed suit, though they looked more irritated than anything.

"Gracias, señor..." Victoria paused.

"Calvillo, Hernando Calvillo," he finished.

"Oh, Don Alejandro's friend," Victoria said. "I've been expecting you. I just didn't know when."

"Travel is very unpredictable," Señor Calvillo said. "At least this trip was better than some I have taken. So Don Alejandro told you to expect me?"

"Yes, he said that you'd retired from the army and might be interested in a job managing this tavern."

"Sí. It's always been a dream of mine, but you know how it is in the army..."

"All too well, señor," Victoria said lightly. "However, if you really do want to manage a tavern, your sympathies will have to shift entirely to the other side of the bar."

"Oh, most sincerely, señorita," he said, with a laugh of his own. "I think I know all of the excuses..."

"Having used them yourself, perhaps," Victoria replied.

He looked a little abashed. "It would be a lie if I said I hadn't, but truly, señorita, I've spent most of my life following one set of foolish orders one day in order to live to follow another contradictory set of foolish orders the next, so I think switching sides to protecting the business interests of a tavern rather than my own empty purse will be simple in comparison."

"And what about defending it from your own appetites, señor?" Victoria asked, not particularly liking to be so blunt, but she'd found that bluntness was the best approach. "I am willing to negotiate salary versus wine consumption depending on how big your thirst is and how well you can keep your head. If you've spent as much time in taverns as most army men, I think you know why I need a man who can keep a clear head."

"Oh, definitely, señorita," Señor Calvillo said. "I do love wine, but it rarely goes to my head, as it's not wise for sergeants to get drunk around their men. But I won't say no to a personal allotment of cheap wine. I never developed the taste for the expensive kind, though I did have a caballero friend of sorts in Mexico City who tried to improve my tastes. It never took, which was probably good, since my taste matched my lack of fortune, and I'd hate to be envious of my betters."

"A very practical philosophy, señor," Victoria said.

"The best kind, I think," he said. "I try to be content with what I've got; though like many another soldier, I've definitely longed for overdue pay."

"Well, if we come to terms," Victoria said, "that's something you won't have to worry about."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego stepped out of the door of the newspaper office. It had been a very busy day. The printing had taken longer than usual, and he'd had to spend some time afterwards going over the press to make some minor repairs. He'd just finished trying to clean the ink off his fingers and stepped outside the office when he looked across at the tavern. A group of disreputable looking vaqueros were stumbling outside. The one who seemed to be the leader looked particularly annoyed and the way he kept looking back at the tavern as the group mounted their horses made Diego distinctly uneasy. He made his way across the plaza looking out after the riders, even more uneasy when he saw them pause just beyond the pueblo's sign before continuing away.

Debating what he should do, Diego decided that the best thing to do would be to find out what happened in the tavern before he let his imagination get the best of him. He could decide his next move when he knew.

Trying to look casual, Diego entered the tavern and looked around for Victoria. The moment he spotted her at the table he walked directly to her and kissed her hand in greeting.

"Finally, Diego," she said. "I wasn't sure I was going to see you before siesta."

"The repairs didn't quite take as long as I thought they would," Diego replied, before turning to the man sitting at the table.

Victoria made the introduction. "Diego, this is Hernando Calvillo, the man your father recommended for the job of manager."

"Ah, Señor Calvillo," Diego said. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My father's told me so many stories."

"I hope he hasn't told you them all," the man responded. "Some aren't fit for anyone's ears. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Don Diego. Your father's written to me about you. He's very proud."

"He always has been," Diego said with a smile. "So have you two reached any agreement on the job."

"I believe so," Victoria said. "For a month's trial, sí?"

"Sí, señorita," Señor Calvillo said. "I'll do my best, as I definitely don't think that farming would suit me as well."

"I'm sure you will. You handled those vaqueros very well," Victoria said.

"Were those the men I saw leaving not too long ago?"

"Yes, they were getting out of hand, but Señor Calvillo managed to get them to leave using a diplomatic approach. I was impressed," Victoria said. "Why do you ask?"

"They seemed a bit disgruntled, and I wondered what had happened," Diego replied cautiously.

"Oh, Señor Calvillo, reminded them that it's not a smart move to start a fight in front of soldiers," Victoria said.

"I've seen too much fighting in my day," the older man said. "I prefer peaceful solutions when possible."

"I'm glad you handled it so readily," Diego said. There was something nagging at him. He wasn't sure if it was that he suspected that the men were angry enough to want to return and cause trouble or if it was too much of a coincidence that Señor Calvillo, who wanted the manager's job, was on hand to impress Victoria favorably in dealing with them.

Either way, he decided that it would be a good idea to stay at the tavern that evening, and the fact that he got to spend more time with Victoria was both the perfect excuse and an absolutely valid reason. Fleetingly the thought passed through his mind that Zorro should be keeping an eye on the tavern, but he dismissed it as he was trying to find a way to limit his appearances as Zorro. It was long past time that he learned to truly be as clever as a fox and not simply hide behind a mask and a sword. Besides, since they were in town and so close to the cuartel, he was sure he could find ways for even a clumsy Diego to deal with any sudden issues, even if it was just rousing the lancers to do their jobs.

Diego turned to Victoria. "Could I have a word with you?"

"Certainly," Victoria said, then turning to Señor Calvillo. "If you would excuse us."

"Sí, señorita," he said. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't," she replied. Then she led Diego back to the kitchen where she sent Teresa back out so that she could go back to cooking while they talked.

"What is it, Diego?"

"You mean besides missing you all today?" he said, kissing her cheek before handing her a spice jar.

"Yes, besides that," she said, returning the kiss as he still leaned close to her.

"I wondered if you were full up tonight. I thought I might stay in town. My father isn't due back until tomorrow."

Victoria smiled at him in a way that made him wish they were truly alone, without a room full of people next to them. "No. No one except Señor Calvillo. He's getting my brothers' old room. All these travelers are just passing through." Her expression hardened. "Los Angeles isn't too popular a stopping place at the moment."

"At least they still enjoy the food," Diego said, snapping up a stray pepper.

"True," she said, as she took the pan from the fire, "And to be honest, boarders are often more trouble than they're worth."

"I hope you don't include me in that," he said.

Looking him up and down, she replied, "It depends on your definition of trouble."

Diego smiled. "I think that since we're not alone, in this instance I mean bothersome."

"Oh, then I'd say you're hardly ever bothersome," Victoria replied. "But is there a reason you want to stay other than to keep me company?"

"The men who left the tavern, I thought they looked like they were planning something," Diego said. "Probably nothing at all, just a suspicion really, but if it's something..."

"What will you do?"

"I don't know," he said, honestly. "But I'm sure I'll think of something. I'm not entirely useless."

"No, I can think of a few things that you do very well," she said.

"Yes," he said, trying to hide a laugh. "Painting and music and..."

She playfully smacked his arm. "All right, if we're in danger, I'll trust you to paint them into submission."

"You know that might just work... in certain circumstances," he said. "But then I'm probably making something out of nothing, and we'll be in for a quiet evening in a nearly empty tavern."

"Nearly, but not entirely," she said.

"It's safer that way," he said.

~*~*~

The evening drew late, the tavern had emptied, and Victoria's helpers had left for home, leaving Diego, Victoria, and Señor Calvillo alone in the tavern. Leaving Victoria to show Señor Calvillo the closing up routine, Diego had gone into the private parlor. It was illuminated only by the light coming in from the main room, but Diego didn't bother lighting a candle as he wanted to think. So far nothing had come of his fears. He wondered if he wasn't getting paranoid, looking for things that weren't there, looking for excuses to don the black when he didn't need them. Or even worse looking for excuses to confront danger without the mask on. Everything was changing, so why did he feel like he was being less rather than more cautious.

In any event, he was starting to doubt his earlier impression. Perhaps they were just boisterous vaqueros, who made a little trouble and then left before they got into more. He leaned against the wall near the window. It was a remarkably clear evening with a nearly full moon which cast a little extra light into the darkened room.

As he was contemplating returning to the main room, Diego caught sight of some movement outside the window. Drawing back, flattening himself against the wall, Diego looked out to see the outline of a man creeping towards the window. What was that?

As he kept an eye on the man, Diego could hear a commotion in the main room of the tavern. Sliding further into the shadows as the man outside reached and worked on opening the window, Diego was startled by the sudden rush of noise from the main room. It seemed like the man's companions had already entered the tavern. This one seemed slow. He probably should have been inside before his companions got there.

The man was barely in the room before, Diego had him by the neck and rendered him unconscious, quickly tying him with some of the rope Victoria kept in the corner of the room. It wouldn't hold for a long struggle, but Diego didn't want to be blindsided by someone at his back.

Carefully, he moved to the door and peeked into the main room. There were four men in the room, all held pistols but not too steadily. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, but he could tell from the looks on Victoria's and Hernando's faces that they were just looking for a good opening. Quickly, he scanned the room behind him for a weapon. The best thing he could find was a heavy book he'd left there a week ago. He weighed it in his hands. Its heft was not inconsiderable. _Well_ , he thought, _here's hoping it really is mightier than the sword._

Holding it open near his face, Diego started into the room, apparently oblivious to everything around him. "Victoria, I've been reading up on the properties of Yerba Santa. You know it really is an amazing plant. Burns, swelling, congestion, colds— I absolutely must see about cultivating some..."

He was near two of the intruders who seemed frozen in shock at his seeming lack of awareness or at least waiting for him to look up so they could try to intimidate him. He glanced sideways at Victoria and Señor Calvillo; they appeared ready to make a move the moment he made his.

Diego sidled in between the two men. "Herbal science really is fascinating." He held the book up in front of the man to his left. "What do you think of that?" he asked, pointing to a random spot.

"Well, señor, I... uh... I..." he stammered, clearly overcome by incredulity at what was actually happening. Diego glanced up at Victoria, who couldn't help rolling her eyes as the other man actually looked over Diego's shoulder to see what he was showing his cohort.

"That's enough!" the man behind Victoria barked. "Let's finish this!"

"Yes," Diego said,"let's." Suddenly, he slammed the book shut on the man's nose, sending him reeling back. In almost the same instant, he drove his elbow into the chest of the man on his right.

As he acted, he saw Victoria twist and hit the man behind her with the pitcher he'd been foolish enough to let her keep holding, and Señor Calvillo turned and wrenched the pistol out of the hand of the man behind him.

Diego swung the book back, knocking the first man to the floor. The second man was still off balance when Diego kicked his legs out from under him. He turned to see that Hernando had both the other men locked in his arms as he slammed their heads together.

"There's another man in the parlor," Diego said, looking down at the four on the floor. "And there's more rope there."

"I'll get it," Victoria said, hurrying away.

"That was impressive work," Diego said.

"Well, I was never good with a sword; I had a caballero friend in Mexico City who tried to improve me; it never took. I was the joke of lancers, but I made up for it by being a champion wrestler and marksman. Discipline wasn't so much of a problem, especially since in times of low provisions, I was the man who could hit even the most speedy and skittish animal with my first shot."

"And an army marches on its stomach," Diego said.

"Well, it marches on its feet, but the stomach demands its share," he said.

"So is cooking another skill I can expect from you?" Victoria asked, as she returned with the rope.

"It depends. I mainly did field rations, but I was a deft man with snake and cactus," he said, quickly tying the men up.

"And with a rope as well," Victoria said.

Diego smiled at the now restrained men at Señor Calvillo's feet. "Do you still want to manage the tavern, señor?"

"Sí," he grinned broadly, "and I think I'll start by taking out the trash."

"Can I offer you a hand?" Diego asked. "The cuartel is just across the way. I suspect the lancers will be most interested in this gang."

"Undoubtedly, Don Diego."

Soon, they were depositing the vaqueros. Señor Calvillo pounded on the gate with his large fist. "You know," he said to Diego, "when I came to Los Angeles, I never thought I would be delivering tied up men to a cuartel of lancers in the middle of the night."

"Indeed," Diego couldn't help smiling broadly. _I know exactly what you mean._

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Up: A story set after "The Man Who Cries Wolf." Technically the next episode would be "The Word," but this was one of several episodes that I moved out of either production or broadcast order for my own purposes. I don't feel too guilty about that.


	23. A Young Man's Fancy (After The Man Who Cried Wolf)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four months to the wedding and Diego's feeling a bit frustrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story starts with the tag from the episode "The Man Who Cried Wolf" written by Bruce Lansbury.

"Some hunting dog, Sergeant," De Soto said contemptuously. "The fugitive was, if you'll pardon the expression, right under his nose."

"Sí, mi Alcalde," Mendoza said, picking up the dog. "If it weren't for Zorro, we'd..."

De Soto interrupted him. "We'd never have half the problems that we have." Glaring at the group, he turned and walked back to the cuartel.

Diego and Victoria moved closer to Mendoza. Diego reached out to scratch Galletaño's ears. "Apparently the alcalde doesn't have much affinity for our animal friends."

"Sí, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "He feels Galletaño lacks the spirit of a true hunter. Personally, I think he's just exhausted."

Don Alejandro looked confused. "What do you mean by that, Sergeant?"

Victoria was the one to answer the question. "Because Señor Adams told us that Lobo is... preñada."

"Pregnant?" Don Alejandro exclaimed. "Excuse me, Victoria. Lobo is a wolf. Galletaño is a dog."

Diego smiled as he continued petting the dog. "Galletaño, my friend. What you lack in spirit, you make up for in audacity."

"Diego!" Victoria exclaimed in mock shock.

He shrugged. "Love is blind and curiously agile." Looking to his father and Mendoza, he said, "If you'll excuse us, I promised to help Victoria with her herb garden." Without waiting for their response, he offered Victoria his arm and they walked off and around the tavern.

Once they were out of sight, Victoria said, "Your sense of humor seems particularly wicked today, my love."

"It could be because we haven't had much time together. Four more months, Victoria," Diego said.

"It will pass sooner than you think. Especially once the guests start arriving," she replied, as she went through the gate behind the tavern.

"Oh, yes," Diego said flatly. "More people to keep us apart. That will be fun."

"I thought you were looking forward to seeing your Uncle Cecilio and Aunt Magdalena," Victoria said.

"I am. In fact, they should be arriving in less than a month. Father received a letter from Uncle Cecilio last week, letting him know that they'd arrived safely in Monterey and were dealing with the most pressing business quickly in order to be free to be here as soon as they can. I think you'll like them. However..." He looked around and seeing that they were indeed alone, pulled her over to the far wall, before lifting her up for a fierce kiss which Victoria enthusiastically returned.

When they parted, Victoria took a moment to regain her breath before saying, "So are you planning on helping me with my garden or was that just an excuse for this?"

Diego smiled, this one closer to Zorro's smug one than his usual grin. "Can't it be both?" he asked, as he kissed her again.

"I suppose so," Victoria replied with a soft sigh as he moved down to her neck. He was right; four months was a very long time. Reluctantly, she pulled back. "Now, my love, about my garden?"

She hadn't been overly concerned with the garden, though she knew it would make things easier in light of some poor harvests and disruptions in shipping. It would also help to offset some of the expense of her new manager. However, the primary reason she was interested in the changes was that she had noticed that Diego was getting edgy about the distance to their wedding day and wanted to give him an additional distraction to keep his mind better occupied.

She had enough signs of restlessness in him lately, and it had finally begun to dawn on her just how difficult it might be for him to contemplate truly giving up Zorro. After all, even now, hadn't a simple ride to exercise Toronado ended more dramatically just the other day? He was a man constitutionally incapable of not giving aid to others when required, and he was a man with a lot of energy that needed some kind of outlet. Victoria had noticed that their self-defense lessons were certainly becoming more intense, though he was always careful to make sure she wasn't pushed too far, but she'd also seen his and Felipe's lessons as well as him working on his own. And it all made it clear that he'd never be entirely content simply playing the scholar, but she wasn't sure what they could do about it.

So for want of any better idea, she'd asked him about a better way to utilize the space in her herb garden, one which would allow her to have more pots of plants and yet still make it easy for her and her girls to deal with them, as none of them were very tall. Diego seemed to be intrigued with the idea when she brought it up and after doing an initial detailed inspection of the space, had gone off to design something he said might just suit her requirements.

With those thoughts in mind, she leaned against Diego as he kissed her forehead and then still keeping an arm around her turned to look around him.

"I think I've got everything worked out, though I think the tiered planters really do an adequate job, even if you have to use steps with them. But I do have the prototype of something to try out. I plan to bring the pieces to put it together tomorrow."

"That sounds good."

"Though truthfully," he said, "I suspect this may in the end be more trouble than it's worth."

"It doesn't matter, really," Victoria said. "I just wanted to try something different, and you always have the most creative ideas. If it fails in the end, it won't really matter; we'll have learned something. Isn't that what you say?"

"Well, yes," Diego said. "But that was a while ago, I didn't think you paid attention to what I said then."

Victoria gave a huff of mock irritation. "I always paid attention; I just didn't always understand precisely what it was you were saying... or feeling, for that matter."

"You never cease to surprise me," Diego said, caressing her cheek.

She smiled at him and reached up to run her fingers through his hair while she held his hand with the other. "And to think that all that time, under the scholar was such a flirtatious, romantic gentleman. I should have suspected it from your artistic nature."

He leaned in for another kiss. "I was hiding from you," he whispered in her ear. "I didn't want you to notice."

"But you didn't always do such a good job of it," Victoria replied, pulling him back to where there was a hefty stool that she used for reaching some of the plants, and stepping up onto it so that she was more on a level with him, she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck. "Those were the times when I wondered what would happen if I tried surprising you with a kiss."

"And then you finally did that and found out," he said, remembering when she'd grabbed him in the windmill.

"Yes, and then wished I'd done it sooner," she replied.

"Then perhaps we'd already be married," Diego said. "No more waiting." He leaned in for another kiss which lasted until he heard a slight coughing sound behind them and turned to see his father. He was relieved that he'd managed to keep his hands still, and thus was only slightly embarrassed though Victoria turned a bright red as she stepped off the stool while trying to look as if she hadn't just been caught out by her future father in law.

Alejandro had a slight smirk on his face, which made Diego slightly more abashed. However, he apparently was feeling generous as all he said was, "Ah, Diego, I was wondering if you'd finished... discussing the garden; I thought we'd ride back to the hacienda together."

Diego tried to look completely nonchalant. "Yes, we're done. This was more a last minute check to be sure I didn't miscalculate in my design. I'm putting in an experimental planter tomorrow. If it works the way it should, it will make things easier for Victoria."

"And if it doesn't?" Don Alejandro asked skeptically.

Diego sighed. "Then it will provide a laugh and still possibly be useful if only as kindling."

Victoria spoke up. "I'm sure it will work fine."

"We'll see," Diego said. He took Victoria's hand and kissed it. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She smiled warmly. "Tomorrow. I can't wait."

Diego turned to his father. "I'm ready when you are."

~Z~Z~Z~

As they left town, Alejandro suggested a longer ride before returning home, and Diego reluctantly agreed, as he had the feeling that he was due for a lecture. Alejandro was unmistakably preoccupied. He shifted nervously in his saddle, sighed deeply a few times, and kept glancing over at Diego out of the corner of his eye. Diego fought the urge to ask his father to just spit it out.

Finally, when Diego was about to break, Alejandro said, "You know. Victoria is a wonderful woman. I'm very happy for you."

_And it begins_ , Diego thought, wondering why the build up. "Yes, she is wonderful," he said. "And I'm certainly happy to be marrying her. June can't get here soon enough."

"That I'm sure of," Alejandro said, dryly, "and that's what I wanted to speak to you about."

_Over a kiss? And one of our more innocent ones at that?_ "And what precisely do you want to speak about, Father?" Diego asked. He'd had enough practice to know not to let himself get drawn into confessing anything.

"You know I was young once," Alejandro began.

"Yes," Diego agreed. After all that was the simple truth.

"And your mother and I were engaged for a year before we married," Alejandro said.

"So you've told me," Diego replied, wondering where precisely his father was going with this.

"And there were times I'd get as irritable as you've been lately."

"I don't know what you mean." Diego didn't think he was that irritable. After all, with the alcalde had been a fool over a fake prison deputy, he'd had a family to help. Not overly onerous but certainly annoying that he had to step in and do what the authorities should be doing. And of course, he hadn't had as much time as he liked with Victoria. Though to be honest, he felt he never spent enough time with Victoria.

"Son, I know what it's like to see Paradise in sight and not be able to do anything about it," Alejandro said. "It's harder when you know it's only a ceremony away from being proper." He hesitated a bit.

_Madre de dios,_ Diego thought, hating where this conversation was going. _Maybe if I just nod, he won't say anything else._ Diego gave a short nod. His father coughed significantly. _Damn, here comes the rest of it._

"You and I... well, we've never talked the way a father and son should about..." Alejandro cleared his throat, "these things."

Diego suddenly felt his throat tighten as he tried keep his face expressionless. "Actually, father, I'm fairly certain we have had this conversation."

"No, Diego..."

"No, Father," Diego interrupted desperately."I distinctly remember you..."

" _That_ was not this one."

Inwardly, Diego cringed. "Father, I can assure you that..."

"No, I understand," Alejandro was more determined. "I mean I don't know how you handled... um... temptations while you were away from home... I expect you might have had a few... adventures."

_With Uncle Cecilio, Aunt Magdalena, and Sir Edmund almost always there to remind me of my duty... and helping me the times I almost made a complete fool of myself, the adventures I did have are not the kind you're talking about. At least, I hope not._

"I wouldn't really say that, Father," he finally ventured.

He couldn't really define the look his father shot him at that moment, but it didn't matter as his father was going on anyway. "Well, whatever that may have been, I'm still not sure what you've done here either. For a while I thought either you just weren't too interested or perhaps on some of your trips..."

"No," Diego said. He wanted this over with. "It's always been Victoria." _Except for the time I was an idiot about Zafira._

"I see," Alejandro said.

Diego looked sharply at his father, then realized what that might sound like. "Not like that," he said suddenly defensive enough to admit something. "We've only kissed." Admittedly some of them were pretty intense kisses that required work to keep from escalating into something more.

"But it's the 'only' part I'm trying to speak to you about."

Diego wished he could pretend to be deaf or sick. "What about it, Father?"

His father sighed. "You two have been given much more freedom than your mother and I had, and I remember how much more difficult it got to deal with the..." Alejandro looked skyward as if searching for the right word, "... feelings your mother stirred in me. The same feelings I know Victoria stirs in you."

Diego simply forced a smile. He had absolutely no idea what to say, and he really didn't want to think about his mother and father's... feelings.

Alejandro brought Dulcinea to a halt and turned her round so he was facing Diego. "Son, there is more to the length of your engagement than my wanting to gather family and friends. That is part of it, but it's more for Victoria."

"Victoria?"

"Yes. I expect you and Victoria to bless me with many grandchildren in due time. I don't want anyone to be able to question the timing of your first child or that child's parentage. Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but it is no secret that there was a time that Victoria was enamored with Zorro."

The full weight of what his father was saying finally began pressing on Diego. "Father, if you are suggesting..."

"I'm suggesting nothing of the sort. I have absolutely no doubts about Victoria, but I do know that people can and do talk. I've never been one for false propriety and I don't mean to say that you should care what people think except, that is, for Victoria's sake. Goodness knows this pueblo has its share of gossips, and you should not want to give them even the least room to entertain any questions about Victoria's fidelity. _That_ , " Alejandro said pointedly, "is a courtesy that a gentlemen owes his bride."

For a moment, Diego just looked at his father with astonishment and more than a little admiration. He hadn't really thought about it since they'd become engaged, and suddenly his impatience seemed a bit selfish. His father was right. He should be thinking more of Victoria and not just as his wife. "I understand, Father."

Alejandro smiled gently. "I had a feeling you would. And you've already made it four months, what's four more?"

_Eternity,_ Diego thought stubbornly, though as he understood his father's point, aloud he said, "You're right, Father."

As they continued on to the hacienda in silence, Diego thought about the fact that it had been a long time since anyone in the pueblo had linked Victoria romantically with Zorro. Everyone had gotten used to seeing her with Diego, and while they might speculate about what brought them together, no one was hinting at anything particularly unsavory. The only problems they had were from a crazy woman who'd heard old stories, so that didn't really count. The lengthy engagement had been serving its purpose, even if it was starting to drive Diego mad.

When Diego and Alejandro finally arrived, they dismounted and handed Dulcinea and Esperanza over to one of the awaiting vaqueros to be stabled.

"Diego?"

"Yes, Father?"

"I'm glad we had this talk," Alejandro said, smiling warmly.

"So am I, Father." Diego genuinely returned the smile. It was an awkward conversation that they'd had, but his father was a good man who truly wanted his son to be happy. He watched his father walk on to the hacienda.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next morning Diego and Señor Calvillo were carrying the last pieces of Diego's experimental planter into the garden.

"I don't understand what this is supposed to be, Don Diego," Calvillo said, as he put down his pieces.

"It's going to be a rotating planter. It's a wheel design," Diego said, "so that it will be easier for Victoria and the other ladies to reach them and she can have more plants in the same space."

"That's... clever," the older man said.

"Only if it works," Diego replied, looking at the parts around him. "I mean I know in principle it does; however, we'll have to wait and see how it works in the long term."

"Do you need any help putting it together?" Calvillo asked, glancing back at the tavern.

"No, gracias," Diego said. "I can handle it well enough. I wouldn't want to keep you away from your duties."

"All right then. Pilar's promised to teach me how to make bread," he said before turning to go back inside.

Diego smiled; he suspected that there was the possibility of more than bread making between the two of them. However, Pilar had been an apparently content widow for many years, and Calvillo was only just establishing himself in Los Angeles. Turning his thoughts away from what might or might not be going on inside the tavern, he rolled up his sleeves before picking up his tools and beginning the process of assembling his project.

It took longer than he thought it would, as some of the pieces seemed suddenly to not want to go together, despite them being cut precisely to size. However, he eventually managed to get them in position. Feeling eyes on his back, Diego turned to see Victoria leaning against the wall next to the back door of the tavern and watching him.

"Don't mind me," she said. "Just enjoying the sight of a man at work." Her eyes raked over him appreciatively. "I don't know why anyone thinks science is boring."

Diego closed his eyes. This was not fair, especially after his father's lecture. "This is more construction than science," he finally said.

"Isn't it just the practical application?" Victoria replied, smiling brightly. "I mean science isn't all theory, is it?"

"You have a point," he said, as he finished tightening the screws. "However, I'm just about done here."

Victoria approached. "This is impressive," she said. "It's a wheel?"

"Yes," Diego said, attaching the handle that would control the rotation. "That seemed the simplest method. It turns easily enough and..." He pointed to the plant shelves which hung freely and were designed to keep the pots secure and upright. "You can water them or adjust which ones are getting more direct sunlight."

Victoria reached out and put her hand over his on the handle and gave it a turn. "Will it be as easy once the pots are in place?"

"We can but see," Diego said. "However, it should be easy enough. And you already have the pots prepared." He smiled at her, and started to lean forward to kiss her but backed up.

Raising an eyebrow, Victoria leaned in to kiss his cheek instead. "What is it, Diego?"

Diego sighed. "My father gave me a lecture on being patient yesterday."

" _Your_ father on _patience_?" Victoria asked incredulously. "That's a little hard to believe."

"It seems he had to exercise a great deal of it during his engagement to my mother. I suspect he expended his entire lifetime's supply during that period," Diego said dryly. "In any event, he wanted to remind me to not..." He paused looking for the words. "... test the boundaries of our engagement too much as we _only_ have four months to go."

"And I know your feeling about the time frame," Victoria said with a laugh.

"You are a cruel woman, Victoria Escalante," Diego replied. "After all it's not my fault, that you are the most beautiful, intelligent, passionate, and desirable woman I know."

"Well, it's not my fault that you're the most handsome, kind-hearted, intelligent, and passionate man I know," Victoria replied. "But your father's right. It won't be that much longer."

Diego shook his head and then looked up at the sky. "No matter how many times I hear that; it doesn't make time pass any faster." Straightening his shoulders, he looked over to where the pots of herbs were lined up. "I suppose I should get those into place."

"Yes, let's get started," Victoria sighed. She took a couple of pots and handed them to Diego. "And I'll take these," she said and grabbed two herself.

"At least with my hands full, my father need not worry about me doing nothing more than talking and a little flirting."

"Actually," she sidled up next to him, "I thought we might be safer if I had _my_ hands full."

"Hmm," Diego said. _Yes, it is going to be a very long four months._

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I'm taking liberties with the setup of the tavern. This time it's the back and I'm pretty sure I'm probably contradicting myself there as well, but I decided Victoria needed an herb garden and Diego was going to be creative in helping her with it.
> 
> Also, I must credit Ghetto Outlaw for writing the last part of the father-son talk in this story. The rest of the story (what there is of it) is mine.
> 
> This story turned out different than I intended. Well to be honest it started out as a conversation between Alejandro and Diego almost entirely written by Ghetto Outlaw and then as I tried to figure out a plot to go with it, the majority of the conversation no longer fit so I had to cut it, but since I loved it, I've saved it for a reappearance nearer to the wedding, where it will fit better and can be paired with a parallel women's chat for Victoria.
> 
> Diego's and Victoria's wondering about Zorro is something that just seemed to creep in in the last couple of stories. I mean it's something that they've discussed in superficial terms, but I don't think either of them have really considered how important an outlet that Zorro is for Diego. Or maybe I just realize that I'd gotten so used to think about Diego and Zorro as separate personas that I'd forgotten that Diego would probably start getting edgy without being able to push himself as Zorro. It's something that just popped in while writing the last story, and like Victoria and the tavern, it's something they need to figure out, though they don't actually mention it here. So here I have a Diego feeling a bit frustrated and constrained in more than one area, and Alejandro putting that edginess down to another probable reason. I hope that their conversation made sense, as I tend to be rather circumspect on the topic in question.
> 
> Next Up: A story set after "Blind Man's Bluff." Once again technically, the next episode would be "Balancing the Books," but for my own purposes, I shifted that episode to another spot.


	24. Looking a Taxed Horse in the Mouth (After Blind Man's Bluff)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego and De Soto have a little chat about the horse tax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place after the episode "Blind Man's Bluff" written by Philip John Taylor.

Diego was waiting in De Soto's office when he finally returned after having been retrieved by his men. He looked tired and aggravated, which is how Diego felt. What would it take to teach the man to stop trying to tax the people for his own bad decisions? But then De Soto had always tended to this particular kind of stupidity, and a cycle of behavior that guaranteed that Zorro would have to intervene over and over for the foreseeable future. De Soto would make some kind of egregious error (like believing an escaped prisoner who claimed to be a prison guard after an escaped prisoner). Then he'd panic about the possible repercussions on his career and do something rash to try to capture Zorro, which despite Diego's desire to ignore it, did require action. Why could the man never learn from his mistakes?

Regardless of De Soto's shortcomings, Diego was doing his best to break from the cycle as he had come to realize that he was just as prone to reacting first as Zorro rather than trying other methods first, and that's why he was sitting in De Soto's office rather than sitting in the tavern spending time with his future wife. He was determined to remind the alcalde of another more important threat to his career if he kept on with this thoughtless taxation.

"De la Vega," De Soto said, crossly as he sat at his desk, "I don't have time for foolishness right now. I've got more charges to lay on Zorro."

 _So Mendoza's reasoning didn't get through_ , Diego thought. _Well, time for the reminder_. "I won't keep you long. I am here on behalf of the newspaper, wanting to hear your story about the 1000 pesos donated to the orphans after the sale of Mariposa negated the horse tax."

"What?" De Soto exclaimed.

"Oh, yes, we were told that the 5000 pesos were all that were needed and that you'd decreed that any excess should go to the orphans because of their need and your sympathy for the poorest citizens," Diego said with an utterly straight face.

"This is..." De Soto sputtered.

However, Diego wasn't going to let him continue. "Most generous of you," he interrupted. "And I'll be sure to send the information of this to my friend Ernesto Moraga. I'm sure you remember him and his particular connection to the governor's office."

De Soto turned pale. "Oh, yes. About tax laws and procedures, I think," he said.

"Something like that. And of course, uncovering fraud, embezzlement, illegal tax collection, misappropriation of funds, that kind of thing," Diego said, almost dismissively, as if it wouldn't be of great concern to De Soto. "He's always interested in knowing what happens in Los Angeles, and you know he's due to pass through here again in time for my wedding. He's always a man who likes mixing business and pleasure. I'm sure he'll be glad to speak with you again as well."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," De Soto mumbled, still looking pale.

Diego decided that he'd done the best he could for the moment. It was best to let De Soto stew over those thoughts for a while, and besides while he had recovered from the effects of the poisoned water, he was still feeling a bit weak and thus was not really in the best frame of mind to continue sparring with the man.

"I'll leave you to your business, alcalde," Diego said with false brightness as he stood up and headed for the door. "But I must say that you look more like you could use a night's rest instead."

De Soto merely glared at him, and Diego made his escape across to the tavern. It was definitely a more cheery atmosphere, as Señor Calvillo had brought out his guitar and was singing an old folk song to the accompaniment of some of the other tavern patrons. Everyone including the lancers seemed happy that the horse tax would no longer be collected. Diego really hoped De Soto had the wisdom to drop this. Pilar told Diego that Victoria was out back in the garden, and he slipped through the kitchen to see her.

Victoria was turning the lever on the rotating planter. He was glad to see that it still seemed to be holding together though it had only been a couple of weeks, and that it was indeed easy for Victoria to turn. That had been the challenge as he hadn't precisely calculated the weight of the growing plants in the pots, and he wanted a smooth motion. When Victoria finished she turned and smiled at him questioningly.

"Oh, don't mind me," Diego said, echoing her words from another day. "I do love to watch you..."

"Work?" she said.

"Well, that among other things," Diego said, approaching. "I simply love to watch you in general."

"So I recall," Victoria replied. "But I hope that is not all you like."

"Certainly not, but it's always been the safest option," he said, giving her a brief kiss.

"Is your head still bothering you?" she asked.

"A very little," Diego said. "I'm sure it will be gone tomorrow."

"How did your talk with our alcalde go?" she asked.

"As well as can be expected. I'm almost sure he will properly absorb the veiled threats and let the whole matter of Mariposa go."

"Good," Victoria said, as she wrapped her arms around him and leaned into a hug.

"Yes, it is," Diego said, not referring to the alcalde at all. Victoria was a comfort. He kissed the top of her head. "Tomorrow, Felipe and I have to ride out to take care of some... business, but I thought it would be nice if you came over for dinner. If you came early enough, I'm sure we could find something interesting to... talk about."

Victoria looked up at him with a smile. "It's true that we never seem to run out of... conversation. Yes, I would like to come for dinner, and there's no reason why I can't stay since I have Señor Calvillo to watch the tavern."

Diego's smile widened. "No, there's no reason why you couldn't."

"Luisa's been wanting me to come for more fittings. She's wanting to start on the wedding dress now that we've got the material."

"Oh," Diego said, though he'd been uninterested in Victoria's expanding wardrobe except for seeing her wearing the finished products; this was one dress he was eager about.

"Yes, she says it's not something to leave to the last minute," Victoria said. She tilted her head to look at him. "Something else is bothering you."

Diego sighed and looked around. They were alone but still..."I can't help but think I should have brought this up before Zorro decided to leap into action," he said quietly. "This is something we should have protested publicly, and yet there was Zorro jumping in to deal with a problem that could better have been handled otherwise. A problem that was in fact a trap to catch him."

He walked over to sit on top of the back wall, still casting looks around. Victoria came to stand next to him.

"And you think he should have been clever enough not to fall for it," Victoria said.

"Or at least patient enough to wait and give others a chance to try something first. After all, this wasn't a matter of life or death. There was no need to leap into things."

"But he's made it enough of a habit that people tend to wait for him before acting and..."

"Then he can't stand the hesitation... I think he's only managed to hold off a couple of times and those were odd little messes," Diego said. "But I do think that we need to learn how to handle problems on our own, don't you?"

"Yes, I think that we need to find a way to let Zorro go, so that the people can find strength on their own," Victoria said, looking up at him.

Diego sighed. It was hard to let go of his reliance on a mask. "I suppose the man can't continue being everything to everybody," he said.

"No," Victoria replied. She looked to see if anyone was nearby. Though she was content they were alone, she leaned in close and whispered, "I'd rather have you be everything to me."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's short because I really just wanted to deal with De Soto's taxing situation about the horses, as I'm not sure that he really would just drop things just because Mendoza said Zorro paid the horse tax. I think he'd need a reminder of what pursuing the matter could cost him.
> 
> Next Up: Another in-between story, this one dealing with the arrival of Diego's aunt and uncle before we move on to "Siege."


	25. A Little Learning (Between Blind Man's Bluff and Siege)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family members arrive, and relive old times, perhaps a little too well.

Victoria was sitting with Diego on the sofa while he read to her. She had a hard time concentrating on the words as she kept listening for the sound of horses. Diego's aunt and uncle were due to arrive any time now, and though she would not admit it, she was nervous about the meeting, knowing how important they were to him.

"You know you're going to wear a hole in that skirt if you keep rubbing it that way," Diego's voice finally cut into her abstraction. Her hands froze and then she looked up at him. He was smiling. "It's not that I mind," he continued mildly, "but I suspect that it would bother you."

Victoria glared at him.

"Now, I think that look might burn a hole in _my_ clothes," Diego said reaching out for one of her hands. "My love, there's no reason to be anxious. It's just my aunt and uncle."

"From your mother's side... from Spain," Victoria said. She'd met many of the de la Vegas and despite their breeding they tended to be a boisterous lot; something she was used to. But Diego's mother's family was different. She remembered how refined and elegant Doña Elena had been, and about her ties to Spanish nobility.

"Surely you're not worried about that, are you?" Diego asked incredulously. "My mother adored you, and Uncle Cecilio and Aunt Magdalena will love you too. They aren't standoffish at all. I think my aunt played mother to more than half the students my uncle had, and he's too busy studying and teaching anyone who's willing to learn to bother with things like class distinctions."

"I just want to make a good impression," she said.

"And you will," he said. "Just by being yourself. Besides since my father and Uncle Cecilio enjoy arguing with each other whenever they meet and my aunt Magdalena will probably be too busy shaking her head at their antics, no one will be in a position to criticize you anyway."

"Your father and your uncle? You didn't tell me about that," Victoria said.

"I hadn't really thought about it much," Diego said. "The last time they were together, I was very young. It's more the stories my mother told me about them. They really do like each other, but neither seems able to resist the urge to rib the other. And it's usually about the de la Vegas temper versus the de la Cruz dreamy nature."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "That sounds familiar."

Diego looked a bit sheepish. "Probably because I worked to emphasize the de la Cruz side of my personality... more specifically some of my uncle's characteristics."

"Oh," Victoria said, "this could get interesting."

"So you see you have nothing to worry about," Diego said. "If anyone's going to make a spectacle of themselves it will probably be my father and uncle. Trust me, Victoria."

Victoria finally smiled genuinely. "I will. This time," she said, leaning against him. "Now, I believe you were reading to me."

"Yes, so I was."

~Z~Z~Z~

An hour later, Victoria was wondering what she had been worrying about. Diego's aunt and uncle were almost exactly as he'd described them, very friendly and very pleasant. After the initial greetings and introductions, they entered the hacienda where Victoria led Doña Magdalena to the guest rooms while Don Cecilio and Don Alejandro were caught up in reminiscences.

Taking off her long coat, Doña Magdalena said, "You know, I think only Diego noticed we left the room. I'd forgotten what Alejandro and Cecilio were like together. It's been so long, and Diego has at least as much of his mother as his father in him." She placed the coat on a chair. "I'd forgotten how exhausting travel can be."

"And you've done quite a lot recently," Victoria said. "I'm sorry to have added to it."

"I'm not. With all our reasons for coming to California, the best one was to be able to visit our favorite nephew and to discover that we would be able to see him married at last. That has more than made it worth while." She poured some water in a basin and washed her hands and face. "Especially since it's to the young lady he tried hard not to mention in every story of his childhood or was eager to hear about in every letter from home."

Victoria smiled at that. "He's told me a lot about you and his uncle as well." Though he hadn't mentioned how young his aunt appeared. She looked more like a slightly older sister, especially with her dark hair and eyes the same vivid shade of blue as his. If Victoria hadn't known better, she would have thought Magdalena was Diego's blood relation rather than Cecilio.

"I hope he didn't paint me as the evil godmother who dragged him out of his studies to socialize with people who seemed determined to find new ways to bore or befuddle him."

"Heavens, no," Victoria said with a laugh. "He's always spoken of you as a second mother. And in any case, he says events like that gave him the opportunity to practice how to bore and befuddle them right back. Not that he's told me much about his time at the university. I've never known a man who so hates to talk about himself or his past, and he's a master of changing the subject. I guess he owes that to you as well."

"I do seem to recall Diego working through a series of different techniques during his years there. He was definitely entertaining in his own right, but I admit that I did think that he and his uncle played a few games to annoy me while being technically polite. Cecilio can be quite sly in his sense of humor."

"As can Diego," Victoria said. "I see that he owes quite a lot to his studies in Madrid."

"True, but I must say his reticence has always been natural." Magdalena smiled, and then looking at the necklace Victoria was wearing. "That is a lovely necklace, but it seems familiar to me."

"It was a betrothal gift from Diego," Victoria said. "He told me he bought it in Madrid."

"Ah, of course," Magdalena replied. "That would explain it. I remember how fascinated he was with it, and when I asked him if he had any young lady in mind for it, he said..."

"What?"

"If I recall aright that it wasn't appropriate yet to have any one in mind. He must have gone back and bought it anyway." Magdalena shook her head slightly. "His patience in waiting to give it to you is remarkable."

Victoria smiled. "Yes, he has a curious mixture of patience and impatience. We match that way."

"Yes, but we women tend to understand better the reasons why patience is required even when we find it just as annoying as the men," Magdalena said.

"Or more annoying. After all, we're the one with the most restrictions," Victoria replied.

"Indeed, but I think you, like me, have found the man who doesn't want to put limits on you."

~Z~Z~Z~

"You're lucky that you're the first guests to arrive," Don Alejandro said in a teasing tone. "We have enough room for you and your luggage. Did you bring everything from Monterey?"

"Well, Magdalena was determined to bring plenty of gifts for the bride... and groom," Cecilio said.

"But I'm not the one who insisted on the extra trunk of books for Diego or who complained because you didn't know what kind of reading Victoria enjoyed but still included the works of Josefa Amar y Borbón and Mary Wollstonecraft specifically for her in case Diego had somehow managed to not already have them, as well as a selection of novels that I think you meant for everyone."

"One can never have too many books, my dear," Don Cecilio said. "As you know very well. I think _you_ even said that the night we met."

"Oh, I'd like to hear about that," Victoria said.

Don Alejandro spoke up. "It's an almost unbelievable story," he said. "I should know; I was there, and I didn't believe it."

"You never mentioned that, Father," Diego said.

"Oh, there's a lot that I haven't mentioned, but in this case it was more seeing and not believing. It was another one of those big affairs that your uncle always complained about going to, and I expected to find him alone in a corner brooding or in the library reading."

"I was in a corner when you found me," Don Cecilio interjected.

"But not alone..." Don Alejandro retorted. "No... I think my eyes nearly popped out to see him talking very animatedly with a lovely young lady. The idea that he was finally showing some interest... well, I had to see what was going on. And once I got close enough to hear their conversation, what do I hear? Him speaking passionately... about some French scientist and his theories of... um..."

"Oxygen," Magdalena said. "And the law of conservation of mass..."

"Lavoisier," Diego interrupted. "His _Elementary Treatise on Chemistry_ was published about that time, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," Cecilio said. "And imagine my delight to meet a young lady interested in science and willing to discuss the topic."

"And imagine my delight to meet a man who wanted to do more than give me glib compliments and be shocked that I was interested in more than embroidery," Magdalena said.

"But still..." Don Alejandro started.

Cecilio interrupted with a grin. "At least I didn't try to impress an art lover with a dissertation on the influence of Goya on Michelangelo. I don't think my sister ever had a harder time trying not to laugh."

"I seem to recall you had no trouble laughing, since you're the one who tricked me into it in the first place," Alejandro said, "and while your sister was being polite, you had no problem reminding her that she'd once told another young man trying to impress her that Michelangelo had died two centuries ago, and Goya was a contemporary painter which he should know full well since he'd only recently been made court painter to Charles IV. And it all worked out for the best as she was determined to teach me all about art in order to avoid such a situation in the future."

"Don Cecilio, I had no idea you had such a wicked sense of humor," Victoria said.

"You'd be surprised," Doña Magdalena said. "But then these two seem to bring out the worst in each other when it comes to pranks. Though Alejandro's attempt at retaliation while Cecilio was courting me didn't exactly work well either."

"Like my Felicidad, you are too forgiving a lady, Magdalena," he said, then turning to Cecilio with a grin, he added, "But then how on earth would they have put up with us otherwise?"

"I agree," Cecilio said. "Señorita, I hope that Diego doesn't put you through as many trials."

Victoria smiled slightly. "Oh, he has his moments. But then he is kind enough to overlook my temper and impulsiveness."

"Victoria is being far too generous," Diego said. "She has to put up with so much more from me."

"Oh, the two of you will get on very well indeed," Cecilio said. "I can already see that you appreciate each other's good qualities. Just be sure to never take them for granted."

"I don't intend to," Diego said.

"Nor I," Victoria added.

"Then you will have a happy home indeed," Magdalena mused.

"And I know Alejandro will be glad to have you here at the hacienda, Victoria. Especially, after you and Diego start a family of your own. After all, he's been after grandchildren for years." Cecilio smiled slyly.

"It's not as if I'm getting any younger," Alejandro replied with mock defensiveness.

"But Victoria," Magdalena interjected, "what will you do with the tavern? You will hardly have time for it is you are mistress of this house."

"Oh, I have taken on a manager to handle day-to-day affairs. That way, I can keep the tavern and still be able to attend to my responsibilities here."

"I would never expect Victoria to part with something that means so much to her," Diego added. "And I certainly can't expect Los Angeles to part with its favorite meeting place."

"I'm very happy to hear it," Magdalena said, smiling broadly. "And Cecilio," she turned to her husband, "did you say that you and Alejandro were going into Los Angeles tomorrow?"

"Yes, he's determined to show me around. If I'm lucky, he'll actually make the tour interesting," Cecilio said. He looked at Diego. "Are you sure you won't join us? Just to add more accurate information."

Diego smiled as he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I promised Victoria that I'd work on the sketches for the miniatures she wants of us in the morning."

"But what about the paper, Diego?" Alejandro asked.

"Oh, well, since Victoria's taking the opportunity to let Señor Calvillo handle the tavern on market day alone; I thought I'd give Jorge and Domingo a chance to print the paper without my leaning over their shoulders. They've been doing very well over the last month."

Alejandro looked nonplused for a moment, then said, "Well, that's good; it shows a good sense of delegation."

"Yes, however, Victoria and I do plan to escort Aunt Magdalena into town in the afternoon if she feels sufficiently rested, and of course to see if everything did go the way it should with both the tavern and the paper."

"Good idea to keep an eye on your experiments," Cecilio said. "But, Magdalena, are you sure you don't want to go with Alejandro and me into the pueblo?"

"And get in the way of your reminiscences?" she said. "I don't think so. I'd rather spend some time getting to know our new niece. Besides, you and Alejandro will be just fine without me watching over you."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next morning after breakfast, Don Alejandro and Don Cecilio headed out to Los Angeles still arguing about a chess match they'd had thirty years ago. Victoria shook her head at her previous fears about meeting Diego's de la Cruz relations. They really weren't so very different at heart, and she should have known that considering how fond Diego was of them. Of course, Diego also managed to avoid coming to breakfast until after his father and uncle had left.

His aunt smiled at him. "Still as fond of morning as ever I see."

"I wouldn't mind it if it didn't come so early," Diego replied wryly.

Victoria hid a smile of her own as Diego had been up earlier, since they had both sneaked out of the hacienda to watch the sun rise. Diego had rigged up a kind of clock alarm to get him up in time. She had been quite impressed when he'd shown her how it worked. Where once upon a time she'd tended to deride his intellect, she was now impressed with how he applied his intelligence and creativity to various issues. It was amazing the difference that knowing who Diego truly was made to her. Some of the things that used to annoy her, now fascinated her; not that she considered Diego perfect or without annoying habits, which was fortunate considering she wasn't perfect either and had no desire to be married to a saint, though she suspected that Diego was going to need the patience of one in their married life. But then so would she.

"And I think he wanted to avoid getting drawn into his father's and uncle's debates this morning," Victoria said.

"More that I'd prefer to keep to our original plans," Diego said. "I think they'd be liable to forget that I was planning to stay here with you ladies."

"Oh, they're having too much fun reminiscing to want to drag in a third party a generation removed from them," Doña Magdalena said. "I just hope they don't manage to get into trouble."

"I doubt that they'll get into too much trouble today," Victoria said. "After all Don Alejandro's just showing him the pueblo."

Diego raised an eyebrow at her, and she sighed as she recalled how easy it was for any of them to get into trouble in this particular pueblo. However, he didn't say anything and instead, turned to his aunt. "Oh, Aunt Magdalena, I've gotten my violin repaired, and I thought you might like to play it."

"You play the violin?" Victoria exclaimed.

"Yes, Cecilio taught me," Magdalena said. "Growing up, I was told it was no fit instrument for a lady. And my grandfather was particularly loud-mouthed on the subject."

"What did he say?" Victoria asked.

"Oh, some nonsense about how the violin is a feminine instrument and requires a man to master it, and for a woman to attempt it was a warped form of self-love and that I should stick to the harp, harpsichord and pianoforte."

"I've never heard anything so ridiculous," Victoria said.

"He was known as a man very decided in his opinions," Diego said. "And he disliked new ideas."

"And he never really approved of Cecilio," Magdalena added, "even if his family was well respected and well connected. But since father agreed to the match all he could do was grumble about how he always had his head in the clouds chasing after newfangled ideas."

"A stubborn man," Victoria said reflectively. "Good thing you married into an equally stubborn family."

"Sometimes I feel like that's the trait that has bound all our families together," Diego said, smiling. "Each one just brings in a different facet." Diego crossed the room and pulled out the violin case. "Aunt Magdalena, would you care to show Victoria just how well you've mastered the instrument."

His aunt opened the case and carefully lifted out the violin. "My dear nephew, I would be delighted."

~Z~Z~Z~

After Doña Magdalena had played several pieces on the violin and prevailed on Diego to play the piano while Victoria listened appreciatively, Diego had settled in to work on the sketch of Victoria while the two ladies talked. He had just put the final touches on the picture when the door of the hacienda flew open, and Felipe came running inside, looking agitated. He started signing to Diego in a hurry.

"Wait, slow down, catch your breath," Diego said, as he stood up.

Barely taking a moment to collect himself, Felipe started signing more slowly.

"My father and Uncle Cecilio are in jail?" Diego asked incredulously.

"What happened?" Victoria said, while Doña Magdalena merely looked surprised.

Diego translated as Felipe signed. "He says he doesn't know all the details but there was a fight in the tavern, and my father and uncle were in the middle of it, and the alcalde had everyone involved thrown into jail."

"What on earth was my manager doing during all this?" Victoria exclaimed. "It's his job to keep fights from breaking out."

Felipe shrugged his shoulders.

"I should have known something like this would happen," Doña Magdalena finally said. "They were in far too boyish a frame of mind to be sensible today." She looked at Diego. "Will we have trouble getting them _out_ of trouble?"

"It depends on what happened," Diego said softly. "We'll just have to go to town and see."

~Z~Z~Z~

The moment they arrived in town, Victoria stalked immediately to the tavern to find out exactly what her manager had been doing when a fight broke out in her tavern. Diego was trailing behind with his aunt, when he saw Victoria brush past Mendoza who'd just come out of the tavern and quailed at the expression on her face.

"Ah, Sergeant, just the man I want to see," Diego said.

"Don Diego," Mendoza said, a relieved expression on his face as he glanced back at the door to the tavern. Apparently he'd rather deal with Diego than face the wrath of Victoria Escalante. "You got here in a hurry."

"Did you expect otherwise?" Diego asked. "Now tell me, why are my father and uncle in jail?"

"Well, it was the card game with the vaqueros."

"Card game?"

"Yes, they accused them of cheating."

"My father and uncle accused the vaqueros?"

"Oh, no," Mendoza said with a shake of his head, "the vaqueros accused _them_ of cheating."

"What? Why?"

Mendoza shrugged. "Because they won."

Diego rolled his eyes and tried again. "Can you please just tell me how my father and uncle ended up in jail?"

"Well, when the fight started... ."

"Yes?" Diego prompted when it seemed like Mendoza wasn't going to continue. "What happened?"

Mendoza looked somewhat sheepish. "I'm not entirely sure as I went to get some men, and by the time we got there, almost everyone in the tavern was involved and..."

"The whole tavern?!" Diego interrupted again.

"Well, not quite... the alcalde told us to put the ones who started it in jail so they could cool their heads."

"In that case we'd better go see the alcalde. Aunt Magdalena?"

"Of course, I'm coming with you," she said.

"Then lead the way Mendoza," Diego said.

"Certainly, Don Diego," the sergeant said.

Diego offered his aunt his arm and followed Mendoza across the way to the jail. As he glanced at his aunt's grim expression, his initial anxiety gave way to a measure of relief. _Under the circumstances_ , he thought, _they might be safer behind bars._

~Z~Z~Z~

De Soto was very ostentatiously going through papers when Diego and his aunt entered the office. Without looking up, he said, "Your father was disturbing the peace, de la Vega. I had every right to lock him up."

Diego kept his expression neutral. "I understand that he and my uncle were defending themselves."

"Uncle?" De Soto seemed puzzled for a moment. "Oh, yes, Mendoza mentioned that one of the brawlers was a relative. I didn't pay much attention. It seems that de la Vegas are a troublesome bunch."

"Except he's not a de la Vega," Diego's aunt spoke up.

De Soto's head shot up, and his jaw dropped as he finally looked at the woman standing next to Diego.

"Doña Magdalena!" he exclaimed, hastily rising from his chair and tugging at his jacket to straighten it. "I... um..."

"Oh, you remember me, Ignacio. How kind," Doña Magdalena said with a deceptive sweetness.

"Of course, I remember... but I never expected to..."

"See me here," Doña Magdalena interrupted. "It was rather unexpected, but we had business here in California and my husband took a sabbatical from the university, and of course, we could not miss my nephew's wedding."

"Diego's _your_ nephew?" De Soto asked incredulously. Diego wondered how he could have missed that even if he had been a senior at the time Diego started at the University.

"By marriage, yes," she replied. "His mother was my husband's sister. And I must admit that I'm shocked to discover that on his first visit to town my husband managed to get caught up in a brawl and thrown in jail."

"That was Don Cecilio?" If anything De Soto sounded even more incredulous.

"I'm afraid so. I know that Don Alejandro wanted to show my husband the town. I can't imagine how such a simple thing could degenerate so badly." She looked at De Soto with big innocent blue eyes. "My husband is a scholar not a fighter, as you know, Ignacio."

"Yes, I remember." De Soto's gaze flickered over to Diego. "His nephew seems to have share that quality, although today, I'm afraid, Doña Magdalena, he seems to have strayed into a fight."

"Oh, dear," Magdalena said, looking distressed. "And now he's in jail with the very men who started the fight. That seems terribly dangerous."

"Doña Magdalena," De Soto said. "This is a very well run jail." Diego had to fight not to roll his eyes. "Your husband is in no danger."

"But surely he doesn't need to remain there," Magdalena said, in a soft and appealing voice.

De Soto looked undecided. Diego now more than suspected that the man had been one of the many students who had suffered from unrequited affections directed towards his aunt. She never seemed to notice any of their infatuations but treated them all in a maternal fashion.

Diego coughed to draw attention. "I believe a fine is usual for something like this. Isn't it, alcalde?"

Looking irritated, De Soto nodded.

"Oh, good, then we can get Cecilio and Alejandro out of jail," Magdalena said with a bright smile at De Soto.

"Yes, um..."

"You always struck me as someone determined to take the law seriously," Magdalena said, sounding for all the world like a fond mother, turning to Diego, who had taken out his purse.

"I imagine fifty pesos would cover the fine, wouldn't it?" Diego asked dryly.

"Yes, certainly." De Soto looked disgruntled as he took the money from Diego.

"Thank you, Ignacio," Diego's aunt said.

"You're welcome, Doña Magdalena," De Soto replied, ignoring Diego.

"Now can you take us to my father and uncle," Diego interjected.

"There's no need," De Soto said. "I'll have Mendoza bring them out." Turning, he shouted for the sergeant, before looking back at Magdalena with what Diego believed he thought was a charming smile, but which made him look more like a crocodile about to swallow its prey. "It will only be a moment."

Mendoza stumbled through the steps of getting the door open and going to retrieve the two men. Don Alejandro was the first to emerge looking all the world like he was ready to spit fire and all outraged pride, while Don Cecilio managed to look both smug and abashed at the same time. Diego had no idea how he managed that.

"Cecilio!" Magdalena exclaimed.

"Father," Diego said.

"Come on, Diego," Alejandro said, ignoring De Soto's presence. "I've had enough of this place."

Don Cecilio paused and gave De Soto a searching look. "I know you, don't I?" he said. "Oh, yes, young De Soto. You were more interested in politics than science. And there was something else..." He paused still staring, but in a moment shrugged. "I'm afraid I've forgotten. Just as well, I suppose."

"I suppose," De Soto said. "Welcome to Los Angeles, Don Cecilio. I trust the rest of your stay will be less exciting."

"I could hope so," Don Cecilio said. He looked at his wife who had narrowed her eyes at him.

"We'd best head over to the tavern," Diego said. "I have the feeling Victoria will have something to say about all this."

Don Alejandro had the grace to look a little sheepish but with a glance at De Soto just shrugged and headed out of the office, followed by Diego and then a moment later by his aunt and uncle.

~Z~Z~Z~

The tavern was very quiet when they walked in the door. Diego realized that they must have missed one beauty of an angry tirade from Victoria. Señor Calvillo was very assiduously wiping the bar and the few lancers sitting at a table all looked like they were trying hard to become invisible.. Looking around, Diego noticed one table was missing as well as some benches.

Diego's uncle was swift to approach Victoria. "Señorita Escalante," he said, "I most humbly apologize for my part in the events of this day. No matter the provocations, I should never have let things get so out of hand. I beg your forgiveness and assure you that Alejandro and I will pay for the damage. Isn't that right, Alejandro?"

Don Alejandro glared at his brother-in-law. "Of course, Cecilio. There was never any doubt. My apologies, Victoria. In our defense if those men hadn't been such poor losers, there never would have been a fight."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "And I'm sure _your_ pride had nothing to do with it," she said wryly. "After hearing the story from Señor Calvillo, I don't understand why you two didn't simply stick to your chess game and ignore those men."

"They insulted our skills and age, Señorita Escalante," Don Cecilio said. "And you know Alejandro couldn't stand for that."

"It wasn't as if it were difficult to convince _you_ to join in," Alejandro was quick to add. "How often have you told me that card play is nothing but simple memory and mathematics, hmm?"

"Well, it is. How do you think we won? Those men could barely count the cards much less show any strategy," Cecilio said. "The only reason they accused us of cheating is that they didn't have the skill to cheat themselves."

"And if they couldn't tell when I was bluffing that wasn't my fault," Don Alejandro said. "They needed a lesson in not underestimating their opponents."

"And I hope you've learned a lesson about starting a fight in _my_ tavern," Victoria said. "I could use less violent teachings in here. I get tired of replacing furniture and supplies."

"What I believe she's saying is that she'd like you two to act your age and not like you're trying to recapture your misspent youths," Magdalena said, firmly. "And, Cecilio, _your_ youth wasn't nearly so misspent as this."

"You're right, dearest," he said. "It was very foolish."

"Foolish indeed," she said. "Victoria, if you require any more help in cleaning up, I'm sure these two able-bodied gentlemen would be happy to assist."

Victoria sighed. "No, thank you Doña Magdalena. Señor Calvillo," she cast a narrow eyed glance in his direction, "has what is left in hand."

"Then I think we should head back to the hacienda."

"Of course, dear," Don Cecilio said a little sheepishly.

Magdalena headed toward the door of the tavern. Before following her, Alejandro leaned in close to his brother-in-law. "It really _was_ foolish, you know."

"Yes. And childish."

Alejandro nodded his agreement. "It was fun though," he said.

Cecilio smiled. "Just like old times."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego and Victoria went to the garden behind the tavern and sat on a bench holding hands.

"So," Victoria said.

"So," Diego responded. "I take it you laid down the law with your manager."

"Yes. He swears he was only in the wine cellar a moment."

"But he should have known you didn't approve of games of chance."

"He did, but since it was my future father and uncle-in-law..."

"I trust he understands now."

"Oh, yes, " Victoria said firmly. "I don't think he'll forget in a hurry."

"I love you," Diego said quietly.

Leaning her head against his arm, she replied, "I love you." Then she sighed. "Three months left."

"Yes," he said. "And I can't help but wonder just how much more excitement waits us until then."

"Probably the usual amount," she said. "Maybe a little less, if we're lucky."

He looked down at her with a half smile. "I'm getting to marry you. I don't think I can trust to any more luck than that."

Victoria interlaced her fingers with his. "Besides, after today, I think we may want to spare some luck for your father and uncle."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this may be the first time I've used a last name for Diego's mother's family, at least in this epic, and as no name was given in the series, I blatantly snitched it from Disney's Zorro series where we learned it when Diego's roguish uncle Estevan de la Cruz (played by Cesar Romero) shows up to cause trouble. I also blatantly snitched his uncle's first name for Diego's roguish friend Estevan who will be making his one appearance in the fourth season, in a story that really calls for a trickster figure to work.
> 
> Also the mention of Goya and his influence on Michelangelo is taken from the episode "The Unhappy Medium" where Don Alejandro uses that as a test of the medium's ability. It always struck me as an odd kind of thing, even odder when I checked Goya's dates and realized he was actually alive during the time period the show was set, while I already knew that Michelangelo died in the 16th century. So I decided to give Alejandro's test a more personal meaning to him and make him ignorant of art before his wife educated him.
> 
> I had Cecilio pack the works of Josefa Amar y Borbón and Mary Wollstonecraft for Victoria because they were early feminists, and from what he knows of her, he felt like she'd appreciate them. The former I only learned about when I started looking for 18th century Spanish writers, and she was quite impressive. The latter I was already familiar with though I know best her daughter's work Frankenstein. Antoine Lavoisier is considered the father of modern chemistry and I was happy to find out that his Elementary Treatise on Chemistry was published about the right time for Cecilio to read it and be excited about it. I know that I'm making all these characters multilingual, but the show itself seemed to ignore language barriers all the time, so I do as well.
> 
> Next Up: A rather short story set after the episode "Siege."


	26. No Man is an Island (After Siege)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego has to come to grips with the death of Saragosa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story makes reference to the events of the episode "Siege" written by Robert L. McCullough.
> 
> While there are some changes between the original episode and the events preceding this story, I didn't feel there were enough requiring a full episode rewrite, so I'm cheating for once and mentioning the differences here and not within the story. I apologize for this bit of laziness. 
> 
> So the primary changes are as follows: Victoria helped Felipe cover Diego's disappearance from town (despite his desire to minimize Zorro's appearances, he felt this situation did call for Zorro), and among other citizens, his aunt and uncle were also in Los Angeles during the siege. It wasn't because of Victoria that Zorro turned his back on Saragosa, just a moment of distraction, and Don Alejandro warned Zorro. Saragosa died the exact same way. The tag is nearly identical, but I've decided to start with it, to be just a tad less lazy.

Saragosa's coffin passed by the group near the fountain. Victoria could see the pain on Diego's face though he tried to hide it.

"Where are they taking him?" Diego asked.

De Soto spoke indifferently. "The paupers' cemetery. Unmarked grave."

"Where's the padre?" Diego sounded more concerned.

"I hardly felt that was necessary," De Soto responded.

"Someone should say something. Read some words or something," Diego said.

Don Cecilio who had remained silent through most of the previous chatter stepped closer to his nephew and looked as if he was about to say something but Don Alejandro spoke instead.

"Saragosa's death is not a great loss, Diego."

"You brought me up to believe that the death of any man diminishes us all," Diego insisted.

"I know that, son. But _he_ was a murderer," Don Alejandro said, clearly not understanding Diego's reaction.

"He was also a man."

"I don't quite understand your concern, Diego," De Soto added. "After all, it was _Zorro_ who killed him."

"We all should say a prayer for Zorro as well," Diego said, looking towards the wagon.

"I agree with Diego," Cecilio said. "I'm willing to speak if no one else wishes to."

"Thank you, uncle," Diego said quietly. Victoria took his hand and the two of them started walking towards the cemetery, followed by Cecilio, Alejandro, Mendoza, and De Soto.

~Z~Z~Z~

Not too much later, the group stood around the grave, Victoria beside Diego. He could feel the solid comfort of her hand in his, though his mind was focused on the coffin being lowered into the earth and the effort it took to keep his feelings of guilt from showing too plainly in his face. For a moment he let himself glance at Ignacio De Soto who stood some distance away from the grave, his own face almost a mask, though Diego believed he could see traces of contempt with what he hoped De Soto thought was his overly soft heart rather than his guilt.

His guilt. Zorro's guilt. His carelessness. Once before another man had died because Zorro was careless. He could still in his nightmares see Ramone's face and hear his voice as he plunged to his death. While it was an accident, he knew his own actions had made the situation as dangerous as it had been. And now another accident, only this time he'd been the one to practically throw Saragosa onto his own knife. Both men had been evil, yet Diego felt the culpability in his soul. He had striven so hard not to be an executioner, to fight for true law and justice. He certainly did not intend to deal death.

Vaguely, he could hear his uncle speaking by the grave. He had been grateful that he had insisted on taking on the role, as Diego wasn't sure he could handle it without giving away too much. To his surprise, or perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised, his uncle wasn't speaking from the Bible but instead quoting from John Donne's Meditation XVII.

"'... No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee... .'"

His thoughts drifted away again. Intellectually he knew that men had died because Zorro brought them to justice, and he knew that if the law had gotten hold of Saragosa, he would have been hanged for his crimes. Somehow this knowledge did not ease his conscience. He remembered when Sir Edmund gave him his prize saber. He had said that he prayed that it would never draw blood, and while it hadn't, he had. Sir Edmund had thought him naive, and his father had as well. They were both soldiers by nature; he was not, though he had accepted that his calling was to defend the people who couldn't defend themselves. But it seemed that no matter how noble the motives, it was impossible to stay free of blood in the end.

Victoria tightened her grip on his hand, and he looked down at her and then over at the grave, where dirt was being thrown on the coffin. Glancing around he saw that De Soto was already striding away, Mendoza at his heels. His father and uncle were speaking quietly together.

"Diego," she said softly, "will you walk with me?"

Realizing she wanted to keep him from remaining at the grave too long, Diego nodded his head and let her lead them in the opposite direction from De Soto. Once they were out of sight, Victoria turned and wrapping her arms around him, held him for some time.

~Z~Z~Z~

"Do you still have your telescope, Diego?" Don Cecilio asked.

Diego looked up from the chessboard where he'd just resigned the game. After he and Victoria had spent time enough alone that he felt he could face even De Soto with equanimity, they'd returned to the tavern for a short time before returning to the hacienda. Victoria had been spending even more time there now that his aunt and uncle arrived and her manager was settling into his position. Of course, since Diego now had to share her attention, it did mean that they had less time together but the moments they could get made it worthwhile. But right now his aunt was monopolizing Victoria's attention and he'd been playing chess (badly) with his father. It had been trying to keep up appearances, and his concentration had suffered, so he welcomed another distraction.

"Yes, I do," he said, standing up. "It wouldn't take me more than a minute to set it up outside."

"Excellent," Cecilio said. "I look forward to seeing the stars in this particular sky."

Diego slipped into his room, glad that he hadn't taken the telescope to the cave. It would be easier to pretend while staring at the sky. His uncle was quiet as they moved outside.

"Do you have a particular object in mind?" Diego asked once he'd set up the telescope outside.

"Planets, and we should still be able to get a good view of Venus," Cecilio said, moving the telescope in the correct direction. "We've had enough of Mars these last few days, wouldn't you say?"

Diego didn't miss the double meaning. "Yes, more than enough," he said quietly. "Thank you for speaking today, though I was surprised at your choice. I would have thought..."

"I'm not a priest or even a theologian," Cecilio said. "But I wanted something appropriate, something for your alcalde to latch on to." He was bending over the telescope.

"The alcalde?" Diego said.

"Well, yes," Cecilio replied. "He seemed puzzled by your reaction to Saragosa's death, as if he thought you were taking it too personally. I thought it best to give him a reason, and since your words reminded me of Donne's meditation, it seemed the obvious choice, and I hoped it might help you as well."

"Uncle..."

Cecilio continued to look through the lens. "Ah, there we are," he said. "Quite a good view tonight." He stood up to let Diego take his place.

"You're right," Diego said.

"I often am," Cecilio said, and then after a moment added, "I'm not your father. I see what's in front of me."

Diego froze and then in a deliberately casual tone said, "My father's not that interested in astronomy."

"He also believes things he shouldn't," Cecilio said. He sighed. "You know Zorro isn't responsible for Saragosa's death, don't you?"

"He died in a fight with him," Diego said, uncomfortably.

"An accident caused by the weapon Saragosa drew. A fight caused by the violence Saragosa brought to your pueblo. A life lived in violence and death," Cecilio said. "It was a path the man embraced. Is it a surprise that it would lead to such an end?"

"Zorro's life is not one of peace," Diego said. "Is it not as much his problem?" He looked up at his uncle.

"Only because he wants to protect those who can't protect themselves. He doesn't invite the violence. He doesn't want to cause death. He is not like the men he fights, but that doesn't mean the fights will always go the way he would wish." Cecilio stared up at the sky. "The question Zorro has to ask himself is: is what he's fighting for worth the price? Would he rather sit by and do nothing and let those violent men have their way? What would he give up for peace?"

Diego stood up. "I don't think he has much of a choice."

"There are always choices, Diego," his uncle said. "It's just a question of being willing to live with the consequences." He glanced at his nephew. "He shouldn't blame himself for other people's choices either."

"Easier said than done," Diego said.

"I know," Cecilio said. "It takes time." He looked toward the hacienda. "And speaking of time, I think we should return our attention to Venus."

"A wise idea, husband," Aunt Magdalena's voice came from behind them.

The two men turned to see Magdalena and Victoria behind them.

"We thought we'd come out and join you gentlemen," Magdalena said with a smile.

"And you are very welcome," Cecilio replied. "Care to watch the stars with us?"

"I would love to," Magdalena said.

"I would as well, but tonight I'd rather see the stars without artificial aids," Victoria said. "Would you walk with me, Diego?" She repeated her words from earlier.

"I'd be glad to, Victoria," Diego said, offering her his arm. "Enjoy the telescope, Aunt Magdalena, Uncle Cecilio."

Diego and Victoria moved out of sight. "Did we interrupt something important?" she asked him.

"Not really. We'd finished with the sensitive issue," Diego said, then after a significant pause, "He knows. He was discreet, but it was clear."

"Oh," Victoria said. "What did he have to say?"

"He gave me some things to think about, to try to deal with what happened."

"I hope it helped," Victoria said.

"I hope it does," Diego said.

Victoria was silent for a moment. "I know you're hurting, and I can't take that away. But perhaps if you can remember the good things that happened, the fact that the people stood up to Saragosa. There was no backing down, no surrender. We all fought. Zorro may have been necessary in the end, but the people did their part as well."

Diego was nonplussed. He hadn't considered that, too wound up in his own pain. "You're right. Everyone worked to save Los Angeles."

"And if we did it once, we can do it again," Victoria said. "I'd say that there is much to hope for."

"My brightest hope is you," Diego said, before kissing her.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As should be obvious by now, I'm not a particularly angsty writer, eager to have my characters wallow in pain and guilt. It's not that I don't torment my characters on occasion (I think I was a bit hard on Diego in The Fox and the Son of the Dragon), but the last thing I want is them moping about, moaning about how miserable they are: what I call "standing emo in the rain" syndrome. But I also couldn't avoid the fact that Diego did feel guilty about Saragosa's death, and it's not an easy thing for him. Another writer would probably do a better job dealing with this, but I hope at least that it appears I'm taking the subject seriously. 
> 
> I know it may seem a bit off that his uncle—and by extension his aunt— has figured him out so quickly while his father is still ignorant, but like Sir Edmund, Cecilio does know how good a fighter Diego is and has actually seen him in action in Spain. He loves his nephew and wouldn't betray him, and knowing Alejandro as well as he does, he also understands why Diego hasn't told him, even if he doesn't entirely approve of his choice or comprehend how Alejandro can be so oblivious. 
> 
> Next Up: "The Word."


	27. Tangled Webs (The Word)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes arguments can go too far and sometimes miracles happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Word" was written by Robert L. McCullough.

It was a busy day in the tavern, and as was becoming an increasingly rare occurrence, Victoria was bustling between the kitchen and the main room. She was half starting to regret sending Señor Calvillo to San Pedro with the de la Cruzes, but there had been a shipment of wine expected, and since Don Cecilio was going to be on hand to select some for Don Alejandro, he had also agreed to guide Señor Calvillo in choosing some wine for the tavern after Victoria had told him what kinds she was looking for and what she was willing to pay.

Also, she'd noticed Felipe had been looking increasingly unhappy over the last few days and Diego tense and thought it might be best if she got out of their way. In any event considering the convenience of the timing of the wine shipment and her deciding to send her manager on the trip, taking care of the tavern had the advantage of not being an excuse. The increase in business was unexpected but welcome. It was something to distract her, as she felt that this current difficulty was not her business to interfere in.

She wasn't aware of all the details, but she knew part of the problem was that Felipe had expressed some frustration with his current role (though he didn't say what it was he would prefer to do) and a desire to see more of the world, in part so he could go somewhere where he wouldn't have to pretend to be deaf, while Diego was insisting that they could just as easily find a way for Felipe to "regain" his hearing without him having to go anywhere. While for the moment she would not say anything to Diego, she sided with Felipe on the idea that it would be easier for him to accomplish the change somewhere outside of Los Angeles. However, she knew that Diego was not in the mood to discuss that, and she was staying out of things as she also suspected that Felipe felt a bit neglected because of all the time she and Diego had been spending together, and she hoped if they spent some time together without her, they might resolve their issues more quickly. At least she certainly hoped so, as she was finding it difficult to hold back on the subject, but she had not spent so much time mastering her tongue for no purpose.

She'd just decided to leave the kitchen and go check on things on the porch when she noticed the commotion outside. The Monterey coach was near the edge of town, and she saw a body being laid on the ground. Curiously, she approached the crowd and listened in irritation as De Soto, rather than trying to find out who had actually robbed the coach, was trying to get the coach passengers to say that it was Zorro who robbed them.

He was interrupted by Don Alejandro who had just driven into the pueblo, Felipe sitting by his side.

"Alcalde!" He stood up in the carriage. "It wasn't Zorro."

De Soto determined to keep to his own obsession said, "Just how do you know that, de la Vega?"

"Because Felipe here, he saw everything," Don Alejandro said.

Surprisingly, De Soto actually seemed to listen to him. "Felipe, you saw who killed this man? You saw their faces?"

Felipe nodded.

De Soto said, "Well... Excellent. Once my men have ridden the killers to the ground, your testimony will hang them."

Felipe and Don Alejandro climbed down from the cart. Just then there was the sound of a horse and Victoria looked around to see a horse with a man thrown over its back approaching. Well, that answered the question of where Diego was, though not what excuse he'd given. Alejandro grabbed the horse's reins.

"Sergeant, give me a hand here," he said as he went to grab the man.

Between the two of them they got the man off the horse and standing. De Soto grabbed at the man's vest, revealing a _Z_ cut into it.

"I told you, Alcalde," Don Alejandro said.

De Soto turned to Felipe. "Is this one of the men?"

Felipe nodded.

Satisfied, De Soto said, "Sergeant, take him to the jail." Turning towards the crowd, in a louder voice, De Soto spoke, "Rest assured my men and I will run the rest of these miscreants to earth." Then he turned and headed back to his office.

Victoria approached Felipe. "Are you all right?" she asked.

He nodded.

Glancing at Alejandro who'd been watching Mendoza with the prisoner, Victoria realized that she should ask about Diego; it wouldn't be natural if she didn't.

"Don Alejandro, where's Diego?"

"Oh, fishing," Don Alejandro said. "He was gone before Felipe got to the hacienda. I hate that he missed this."

"He'll be sorry he missed this too," Victoria said. "But you know what bad timing Diego tends to have."

Don Alejandro looked serious. "Yes, I do." Then a little more brightly, he added, "With some notable exceptions."

"I'm sure Diego will be back soon," Victoria said, doing her best to go with Felipe's excuse. "I don't think the fishing will distract him from wondering where Felipe is. Weren't you supposed to go together?" She turned to Felipe confident that he'd agree as he'd been the one to give the fishing excuse.

Felipe nodded, adding that the robbery had kept him away.

Alejandro shook his head a bit indulgently. "That's my son, always just a bit late to the party."

"But he gets there," Victoria said, before making her excuses to return to the tavern.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was not that much later that Don Alejandro came storming into the tavern saying the bandits had attacked the house. More accurately, he insisted, "Diego and Felipe were shot at by ruthless murderers in our house," and demanded protection.

Rather than shocked, De Soto appeared mildly annoyed. He didn't seem to even make an attempt at convincingly feigning concern as he said, "I understand that you and Diego and the boy have been through some considerable excitement today but I must keep my men here in the pueblo to guard the jail. The attack on your hacienda was undoubtedly a ruse to divert resources in order for these bandits to attempt a rescue of their imprisoned companion."

"That… _ruse_ as you call it was an attack on my family and my home!"

Clearly a little uncomfortable at the public display Alejandro was putting on, De Soto relented, after a fashion. "Very well," he sighed, "I will send you Mendoza and Sepulveda to offer some assistance."

Alejandro breathed in deeply, struggling to keep his composure, something at which he had had a great deal of practice compliments of the alcalde. "I expect them at once," he demanded imperiously before heading for the door.

"As soon as I can spare them," De Soto said snidely.

Stopping short of the door, Alejandro looked back over his shoulder. "Yes, see to it that you do," he barked and stormed out.

He wasn't alone in his frustration. Victoria had hoped to try to convince him to let her go to the hacienda but he had left so quickly. During the brief moment they'd had to speak before he confronted De Soto, he made it clear enough that Diego and Felipe were fine, and that it would be safer if she stayed in town until this was all resolved.

Stubborn de la Vegas. But for the moment, she would give in.

For the moment.

~Z~Z~Z~

Sooner than she thought possible Don Alejandro was back in town with Mendoza and Sepulveda. He'd been shot and was angrily demanding De Soto send men out, as Mendoza was trying to get him to go to Dr. Hernandez's office. Victoria found it easier to get him to go, once De Soto finally sent out some lancers to try to catch the bandits. Not that she figured that they'd have a chance as Zorro would certainly get to them first.

What she didn't expect was the reaction when she asked about Diego.

"Diego? He's at the hacienda... waiting," he spat out as Dr. Hernandez worked on sewing up his wound. "Felipe's leading away murderers, and my son is... _waiting_." He practically growled that last word. Then as the doctor pulled at the needle, he firmly clenched his teeth and said no more until after Dr. Hernandez finished up with his arm and left them alone.

Victoria looked at Diego's father in concern; he seemed to have gone from anger to sorrow in the course of the stitches. "Don Alejandro," she started to say when he interrupted her with a loud sigh.

"Victoria, I just don't understand my son," he said. "How could he? And if he could with Felipe... are you sure you can rely on him to be the husband you need?"

"Of course I can," Victoria said, appalled. "He may not be... the first to leap into action, but that's because he... tries to think things through. I don't know what happened, but I'm sure he was just trying to figure out the right course of action once you were shot. You know he's no coward."

Alejandro flinched at her last word. "You didn't see him."

"I don't have to. I trust him. He may have panicked for a moment. But that's not cowardice." And she could imagine well enough that Diego was more concerned with getting his father help and the lancers out of the house than coming up with a plausible reason.

She remembered how often he'd come up with terrible excuses. They had gotten better over the years, but she could imagine that concern for Felipe's safety might drive any decent excuse out of his head. And as much as she wanted to, she couldn't tell Don Alejandro everything, as that was Diego's place, and while she would argue with him about telling his father, she wouldn't usurp Diego's prerogative. But they were going to have to have another talk once this was all over. It wasn't fair to Alejandro to keep him wondering about his son. She also believed that Diego underestimated Alejandro's ability to protect his secret. After all, her temperament wasn't so dissimilar and she had learned to adapt to the secrecy easily enough, even though there had been times when she felt she would bite through her tongue in her attempts to remain silent.

As it was, she did her best to convince Don Alejandro to come to the tavern where he could rest while they were waiting to hear back from the lancers. Don Alejandro didn't take up her offer for a room to rest in, but he did accept some wine for the pain as he waited. He also clearly did not want to speak anymore about Diego, as he settled into a seat and waved away questions by the curious who saw his arm in a sling.

Victoria left him to it, as she was determined to head to the hacienda the moment she knew it was safe to go and knew it would be easier if she wasn't hovering over Don Alejandro the whole time. Not that she neglected him entirely, but she did ask Pilar and Alicia to keep an eye on him as she slipped out to check on her horse in preparation for her ride to the hacienda, whenever she felt she could get away. As she was making plans and trying not to worry too much, Victoria was glad to see Sergeant Mendoza come in and start talking to Don Alejandro despite the don's less than welcoming attitude. If anyone could keep Don Alejandro distracted it would be the good sergeant.

Time passed all too slowly, and Victoria was getting more agitated, when finally there was a clamoring outside the tavern. Victoria could hear someone calling Felipe's name. Don Alejandro and Mendoza were the first out the door. She followed but hung back a bit, happy and relieved to see Felipe driving a carriage holding two men. She stayed only long enough to see that all was well before slipping back out the back door of the tavern to get her horse and head for the hacienda.

~Z~Z~Z~

"Victoria, what are you doing here?" Diego asked, when she came through the door.

"Well, once Felipe came into town with those two bandits, I knew it was safe to come. Are you all right? When your father came to town..."

"How is he?" Diego interrupted. "Was the doctor available?"

"Yes, and he's fine, but I have to know how you are. The way your father was talking..."

Diego cut her off again. "I'm fine. It was nothing we haven't gone through before. But there's something more. Felipe spoke." There was something brighter in his expression.

Victoria was shocked and excited. "He spoke. What did he say?"

"Just one word— 'Zorro,'" Diego said. "But that's not the point. It proved he can, and if he wants to, with time and effort, he should be able to regain his speech entirely."

"Oh, that's wonderful, Diego," Victoria said.

"Yes, it is. Especially since he's seemed so frustrated by his limitations lately," Diego said. "And I haven't been helping with my reluctance to face the fact that he's growing up and wants to see more of the world than this pueblo and to be more than just Zorro's helper."

"He _is_ more than that," Victoria said. "He's part of this family. Maybe not _officially_ , but that hasn't ever mattered."

"No, it hasn't, but Felipe is growing up, and I've needed to accept that," Diego said. "You should have seen him, Victoria. Riding out to protect us all; calling out to protect me. He deserves to find something more if he wants it."

"Well, what does he want?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know... and I don't think he's sure yet either. He's trying to figure it out."

"Does he really want to leave?" Victoria asked, knowing that this was what bothered Diego the most.

"No, I think what he wants a chance to explore a little, not leave forever."

"What about your aunt and uncle? Would they be willing to take him on their trip to Mexico after the wedding? It would give him an opportunity to see more of the world without being gone for an inordinately long time."

Diego went quiet for a long moment. "I know they would. Uncle Cecilio has already asked if he could invite Felipe. I put them off because I wasn't sure about the idea."

"I see," Victoria said. "But now?"

Diego sighed. "It's a good opportunity for him to stretch his wings a little, and my aunt and uncle are very fond of Felipe."

"I've noticed, and they've certainly been determined to learn his signs," Victoria said.

"Uncle Cecilio has also been helping with Felipe's studies. I think he misses the university and would love to have the opportunity to have a captive pupil for a while. It could be very educational for Felipe."

"A taste of university learning without having to go so far away," Victoria said.

"Exactly. And Aunt Magdalena will keep Uncle Cecilio from getting too enthusiastic," Diego said. "I'll ask Felipe if he's interested before saying anything else to my aunt and uncle."

"I think that's wise," Victoria said. "But before that, I still want to talk to you about your father."

"There's nothing to talk about. As I said, it's nothing we haven't gone through before."

"But not for quite a long time, and not him asking if I'm sure I want to marry you."

What?" Diego asked, truly surprised.

"Well, he asked if I was sure about you being the kind of husband I could depend on. If that isn't expressing doubt, I don't know what is. Diego, you should tell him. He has a right to know."

"You know why I can't. We've discussed this before," Diego said.

"And I think you're underestimating your father the way you underestimated me," Victoria said. "Have I endangered you or been in more danger since I found out?"

"Well... there has been danger..." Diego started.

"But it hasn't been any different than when before I knew your secret, has it?" she interrupted.

"I hardly have a proper way to quantify the difference," Diego said. "But I suppose you have a point. However, there are differences between you and my father." She glared at him, and he added with a bit of dry humor, "Other than the obvious ones, of course."

"Such as?" she demanded.

"He's an old soldier with an overconfidence in his skills, and his impulsiveness is greater than yours. If you recall that little bet of his over Mendoza's getting a commission. He risked my... _our_ future on an impulse of the moment when not a minute earlier he expressed the absolute opposite opinion."

"That was one mistake. He was also very helpful when the Emissary came. You worked together well then, don't you think?"

"I suppose," Diego said slowly. "But Victoria, it's still too dangerous. Can you really see my father standing aside if he knows it's me fighting as Zorro? He'd want to do something."

"But he's been willing to let Zorro fight alone before, and he feels strongly about the same things you do."

"But that's when he thought of Zorro as a mysterious stranger. And while I know he would be determined to protect Zorro's secret, I'm not sure if he can handle holding still when the provocation is most dire, and I'm not going to risk our lives on the possibility."

Victoria was getting irritated. "That's all very noble, Diego, but then you'd better store up some better excuses because any more weak ones like today, and we may find ourselves living in the tavern, which I wouldn't mind, but there's no room for Toronado."

"Victoria... please understand..."

She shook her head. "No, I don't want to argue this anymore. I've said my peace— again. And you've disagreed— again. And as this is your secret to tell, I will continue to say nothing, no matter how much I disagree with you. And frankly I can do without the reminder that you wouldn't have trusted me either if you had had any choice in the matter."

"Victoria, what can I say, but that I love you and trust you, and I don't regret your knowing. It has been better with you knowing, and while I still have fears about the future, I have faith in us and our love." He sighed. "I know I should tell my father, but..."

"But what?"

"Just not today and perhaps not before our wedding."

"Then when? What will it take?" Victoria asked, forgetting her previous desire to end the conversation.

"I don't know, but I need something more to start on than a vague hope, and I'd rather not have it be revealed after a fight, as if I need to prove myself worthy of being a de la Vega, by throwing that secret in his face."

"All right. I can understand that," Victoria said. "And you're very clever, my love. After all the fox is known more for his cunning than his strength. So I'm sure you can find the right way."

He was silent for a moment. "I hope so. But I think we should head into town now. My father will know you headed straight here, and I doubt he and Felipe will be coming back soon."

"And it will be easier to avoid the earlier unpleasantness if there's a crowd about."

"And if Ignacio runs true to form, his need to point out the deficiencies of my reaction in comparison to Felipe's will make my father defensive enough that it will save us from any future mention of it as well."

Victoria sighed. "I hate this part."

"I know," Diego said. "But it's part of the game we play to stay free and alive."

"I prefer the other games we play," Victoria said, letting a sly smile creep across her face.

"So do I, my love," Diego said leaning down to kiss her. "But for now, we have another role to play."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was not surprised to see that Diego was right when it came to the reactions of both the alcalde and Don Alejandro. The alcalde was snide in comparing Felipe to Diego. Victoria found it curious that De Soto who was incredibly bigoted in so many ways never treated Felipe with the same condescending obnoxiousness that Ramone did. It certainly wasn't that he was _nice_ to Felipe; he just treated him as any other citizen, rather than as someone mentally deficient as Ramone had. It was a curious oddity in the man's makeup, one small thing that Victoria could respect him for, not that it was enough to counter balance all his other massively bad decisions or blatant bigotry.

However, he could not resist making his digs at Diego. "It's interesting to see proof that there is not much to the notion of the blank slate approach or young Felipe here might have absorbed some of your passivism. Apparently courage runs in his bloodlines," De Soto said.

"I won't disagree with you, alcalde," Diego said mildly. "Felipe has always been a brave soul, and I am prodigiously proud of him. Though I will say his courage rather reminds me of my father's so perhaps there's something in early exposure as well."

De Soto waved a hand dismissively. "Always over intellectualizing everything."

Diego shrugged just as Don Alejandro spoke up. "At least my son stops to think."

"It's a good thing that young Felipe did more than think today," De Soto replied.

"It certainly is," Diego broke in wanting to keep things from escalating. After all, he wanted a distraction not a battle.

In aid of that, Victoria kept her opinions to herself while offering them something to drink. It wasn't too long before De Soto bowed out and left, and it wasn't much later that Diego suggested returning to the hacienda to his father and Felipe, as he could see his father's arm was paining him. When Don Alejandro started to protest, Victoria was quick to add her voice to Diego's to get him to return. She asked Pilar and Alicia to watch the tavern for the night so that she could be sure that Don Alejandro got his rest and no further fights would break out for the night.

Once they all arrived at the hacienda, it took the combined efforts of Victoria, Diego and Felipe to get Don Alejandro to agree to go to bed. While Felipe and Diego were helping Don Alejandro change into his night shirt, Victoria slipped into the cave to retrieve some of Diego's cactus tea, which she knew he'd prepared earlier. By the time she returned to his room, Don Alejandro was in bed still protesting, but he softened when he saw her, and it did not take much for her to get him to drink the tea. Soon after she, Diego and Felipe left the room. Even with the door closed, she could practically hear him fidgeting in bed. It had been an even more eventful day than usual but Victoria still hoped that he would sleep well.

Going back into the library, Victoria wondered if she should just leave Diego and Felipe to themselves, as an awkward silence descended on them.

Finally, Victoria broke it, by turning to Felipe. "Diego told me that you spoke today. I'm so happy for you."

Felipe moved his hand to his throat and raised a finger.

"I know it was only a word, but I'm still happy that it shows you have a voice that you can reclaim— if you want to," Victoria said. "I'm just happy that you've got even more choices for your future; whatever you want it to be." She reached out to hug him before stepping back and looking at Diego. "I think I'll go check with Maria about what she's got in the kitchen for dinner."

"You don't have to," Diego said.

"I know, but I want to be sure we've got something nourishing for your father once he wakes up," she said, before standing on tiptoes to kiss Diego's cheek and then heading out of the room.

Diego and Felipe stood together watching as Victoria left. After a moment Diego indicated the fireplace, and they both moved to go to the cave. "Well," Diego began somewhat awkwardly once they were safely inside, "this has certainly been an exciting day." He placed a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "I hope you know how proud you've made all of us and…to hear you speak, I…I have no words." Diego couldn't help chuckling at the irony.

Felipe smiled happily but clearly a little bit embarrassed.

"Except…maybe to say that I'm sorry."

Genuinely confused, Felipe furrowed his brow and cocked his head to one side.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's just that you showed me again today that you're no longer a child, and I haven't given that fact the consideration you deserve."

Felipe shook his head.

"No, Felipe," he said. "It's true. I admit it. You've expressed a perfectly understandable desire to stretch yourself, to explore the world outside of this pueblo, and I've been doing nothing but trying to find ways to keep you here."

Felipe made the sign of a Z.

"But even I have had to take a break from him at times," Diego said. "And it isn't like your role in all this is any less strenuous."

A simple shrug of his shoulders told Diego what Felipe was thinking.

"I know. I don't think either of us could have expected we'd be doing this for as long as we have." Diego drew a deep breath. "What I'm trying to tell you is that I understand you need…you _deserve_ a life of your own. You shouldn't have to live like this," he motioned around the cave.

Felipe immediately signed that he was glad to play his part; he always had as Zorro needed him.

"And I appreciate everything you've done for me but it doesn't change the fact that I've been complicit in you living a lie and at the expense of your future. Maybe even my own," Diego said.

For what seemed like a long time, the two exchanged furtive glances but neither said anything. At length, Diego broke the silence. "I…I do have a suggestion."

Felipe raised a curious eyebrow.

"My uncle asked me if I would be willing to let you accompany him and Aunt Magdalena on their trip to Mexico after the wedding. They plan to travel for about three months before returning here on their way back up to Monterey. In the grand scheme of things, it's not really a long trip but it would give you a chance to see new places, meet new people, and you don't have to pretend to be anything other than what and who you are. And, you know, you could regain your hearing on this trip…if you want to. I think you were right. It would probably be easier to make the shift away from here. So what do you think?"

Felipe looked a little overwhelmed. He signed that he needed to think about it.

"I realize it's a lot to take in but you have time. And I just want you to know you have the option. And even if you agree to the trip, you don't have to hurry deciding about whether to stop hiding your hearing when you return. That decision can wait even to the end of the trip itself. After all, you could want to surprise us with your recovery."

"Always planning ahead," Felipe signed.

"Almost. At least now I might be able to make up for not planning ahead in the beginning," Diego said. "You know how we've been working to find a way for Zorro to fade away and disappear, and that means freeing you as well. I want you to have the opportunities to choose your future. I've always wanted that for you even if I haven't always done a good job of showing it."

Shaking his head, Felipe signed that it was as much him as Diego.

"Perhaps, but then again that is the point. I wasn't listening," Diego said. "I do want to know what it is you want." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I know you were interested in the recruitment poster. Was it just the thought of travel or are you interested in... becoming a soldier?"

Felipe shook his head again and made it clear by signs that he couldn't see himself becoming a soldier, since he couldn't trust that he wouldn't have to follow bad orders and hurt innocent people. He wanted to help them, but he wasn't sure yet how. Maybe the law.

"That's definitely a possibility. It might be challenging but it can be worthwhile, and it's one way to fight corruption from within the system."

Felipe reminded Diego of the trial where he defended an innocent man and Ramone ignored the verdict. Or how De Soto kept trying to hang people without a proper trial.

"Yes, that is true. But we're working on it, and we know that De Soto plans to do a proper trial here. It's progress."

Felipe nodded and then indicated that he still wasn't sure about this notion.

"You're right, and I know it's only an idea now, but you've got time, and if it's what you want we can make it happen."

Felipe shrugged uncomfortably before changing the subject asking about Don Alejandro and why he seemed so upset with Diego earlier.

"Oh, that," Diego said uncomfortably. "I couldn't come up with a decent excuse to explain why I wouldn't be going after you and disappointed him again." Diego waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing that hasn't happened before. It's just been a while. I'm sure by tomorrow we'll be back to pretending everything is normal again."

Felipe looked skeptical.

"No, truly. Father will be more interested in _your_ heroics, not my lack of them, and De Soto already turned his mood, so we should be fine," Diego said. "However, I do think we should return upstairs, just in case father needs us for anything."

Felipe nodded.

The two began heading up the steps when Felipe stopped. He paused for a moment, seeming to try to think of what he wanted to say. He tapped his head, made some motions in the direction of the cave, touched his left ring finger and finished with the sign of the of a Z.

Diego smiled. "Yes, I have thought about what I'm going to do with all this and Zorro once Victoria and I are married. I haven't got it quite figured out yet but I'm working on it. Time is on our side and Victoria understands what we're up against. In the immediate, I'm not as concerned about what happens to..." He drew a Z in the air with his finger. "... as I am about what happens to," he reached out with the same finger and, with a few slashes, made the sign of an F.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day, Don Alejandro was up, refusing to remain in bed despite the pain in his arm. In fact, it took the combined persuasion of Victoria and Diego to get him to agree to take it easy. But then he had always been that way, determined to let no wound or illness get him down, and always chafing heavily at the ones that forced him to keep still. As it was, Don Alejandro was out of temper all morning, taking it all out on the paperwork he insisted on going through. Not that he could complain about Diego's work on it, but he could complain about every unnecessary tax and every unexpected expense. Diego simply sat and merely made a few sympathetic noises when he felt it required.

However, hovering like a phantasm over them were the words Don Alejandro had said the day before, no matter how much they both seemed inclined to ignore them. Diego could see his father trying to behave as normal even with his bad mood, but he could see the constraint in him. It's not that he expected any kind of apology, but he knew his father regretted his words even if he felt they were true. Nonetheless, it was difficult to pretend that the words of yesterday hadn't made an impact on them both. Diego hoped though that it wouldn't be long before the pretense became reality.

He had hopes that the return of his aunt and uncle would help accelerate the process. They were due to arrive back in the late afternoon if nothing delayed their journey. And since they would also be carrying Señor Calvillo and the tavern's wine with them, Victoria returned to Los Angeles after lunch in order to be prepared for their return. Diego wished he could go with her, but he was reluctant to leave his father until he was sure there wouldn't be any deleterious aftereffects to his injury. Happily, the wound showed no signs of infection, and other than Don Alejandro's irritable humor, there was nothing else to be concerned about. However, it did mean that the rest of day passed slowly, until they heard the sound of a wagon arriving.

Don Alejandro, Diego, and Felipe headed out of the hacienda, to see Don Cecilio helping his wife down from the wagon. As soon as Doña Magdalena spotted Felipe, she immediately moved to hug him before pulling back so that he could see her speak. "I heard all about what you've done, so brave and so foolish. I am so happy you're safe."

Felipe smiled at her a bit awkwardly. Don Alejandro spoke up. "Of course, he was brave. He's never been anything but. And he's clever too. No need to get so maternal."

"A little mothering never hurt anyone," Magdalena said. "Though gentlemen seem to think it makes them weak to admit it."

"Not all gentlemen," Cecilio said. "Generally, it's the cantankerous, stubborn ones."

"You would know, old friend," Alejandro said good-naturedly.

Cecilio looked at Alejandro's sling. "Every time I think you're done collecting scars, you get a new one." He looked over at Diego. "And how are you, nephew?"

"Well enough," Diego said shortly, as he saw his father's expression as he looked at him. He had no desire to rehash what his father thought he'd been doing. "Lucky enough to have been missed in all the shooting."

"Yes, Diego's luck held out," Alejandro grumbled.

"I'd say all your luck held," Cecilio said. "But then the luck of the de la Vegas is rather legendary."

"You only say that because I married your sister," Alejandro said, humor back in his tone.

"No, because my father didn't run you through for asking," Cecilio said, before moving to take his wife's arm to walk into the house.

Diego urged his father to go with him, while he and Felipe helped unload the wagon before Miguel took it to the stables to unhitch the horses.

~Z~Z~Z~

The rest of the afternoon and evening went well enough with his uncle and aunt to keep his father occupied with the details of their trip to San Pedro, and Diego managed to excuse himself after dinner in order to slip down to the cave and do some repairs on one of his disguises, which he had been putting off. It was tedious but necessary as getting replacements was a time intensive process. Once, he finished up, Diego checked the peephole to see if the library was clear. Unfortunately, he saw his father and uncle standing in front of the bookshelves and knew that he would have to wait until they left the room. He was planning to return to his work table when he heard his uncle mention his name, and curiosity kept him listening.

"Cecilio, I simply do not understand my son," Alejandro said. "I know in my heart that he is no coward, and yet..."

"And yet, you forget he is as much a de la Cruz as a de la Vega, and we show our courage in different ways. Surely you remember my sister urging you to stop and think instead of simply acting."

"Lord, yes," Alejandro said. "Half our arguments were about what she called my bull-headed notions of charging into a situation without thinking of the consequences. I remember her telling Diego the same thing when he was young and getting into trouble, 'that the reason that men were above animals was because they could stop and think.' Diego learned that lesson better than I did, but still..." Alejandro shook his head, "it seems as if he's learned that lesson too well."

"I hardly think so. You're taking the unexpected reaction of one moment and making it far more significant than it needs to be. Need I remind you of some of your stupid reactions that were of far more consequence and more masculine posturing than a show of bravery? I sometimes think you confuse the two. I've had my share of blustering braggarts call me a coward because I wasn't fool enough to rise to their asinine provocation. Even you."

"I didn't mean it."

"I know. And you didn't mean it when you called your son a coward. You just didn't think. Again. I know you were upset and lost faith in your son, but do you think that with your impulsive temper that Diego may not always have faith in you."

"What do you mean?" Alejandro asked.

Cecilio sighed. "I've heard about a certain impulsive bet you made involving Sgt. Mendoza and a commission, a bet made right after you expressed your doubts about it being possible."

"I was betting on my son's success," Don Alejandro said. "Doesn't that show faith in him?"

"Alejandro, that bet had nothing to do with your son, and everything to do with your pride, and do you think that Diego didn't know that?"

"Is that what he told you?"

"No, I didn't get the story from him, and the conclusions I've drawn are my own, though I'm inclined to believe that they are reasonably accurate."

Alejandro was silent for a long moment and then finally said, "You and your _deductions_."

"Inductive thinking," Cecilio corrected. "Alejandro, speak to your son and clear the air. You're both grown men, and he will soon be marrying the daughter you've always wanted, and hopefully finally giving you the grandchildren you've been wanting. This is not the time to let one highly emotional moment come between you." Cecilio took a deep breath. "For heaven's sake, if you can't admit you spoke in error, at least find a way to let this doubt of yours go and tell him what you do approve of. Or have you managed to forget it all."

"No," Alejandro said. "You have a point; he has done a lot that I approve of. It just feels as if we've lost all the progress we've made over the months. I hate this... doubt that stands between us."

"Then release it. Remember that your son is as much Felicidad's as yours, so if you don't understand blame her side of the family." Cecilio smiled. "After all when I had to deal with Diego's stubbornness, I blamed your side."

"Ha, de la Cruzes not being stubborn," Alejandro barked incredulously. "You are twice as stubborn as I am."

"No, I'm just twice as right as you are," Cecilio replied, his smile growing wider.

Soon thereafter, the two men left the library freeing Diego to reenter the hacienda. He was relieved to know that his father did not really consider him a coward; however, he was hoping that they could simply move past this awkwardness without having to mention it again. Selfishly, he knew that if they talked too much, he'd feel more guilty about still holding on to his secret when he now needed to determine a time to reveal it. However, he simply was not ready to reveal the secret, not yet.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day, Diego and Felipe went to the pueblo in order to work on the stories that would be going into the newspaper. While riding into town, the two of them discussed the details of the story of the capture of the bandits. Felipe wasn't entirely happy with his heroic status, and Diego wanted to downplay Zorro's involvement. The end result was a compromise that fit the public story already spread throughout the pueblo, truthful, at least selectively speaking. He doubted his father would be very content with their version, as he probably would not understand Felipe's desire to retreat from the public eye.

Once they arrived and met with Domingo and Jorge, Diego spent the morning determining what other news would be going into the paper. There wasn't much; the coach robbery and subsequent capture of the bandits was the one story of note, but there were a few notices and a couple of birth announcements.

They finished up just as it was reaching lunch time. Jorge and Domingo left for their home and Diego and Felipe for the tavern. Diego was surprised to see the family carriage near the door. His father must have come into town; he should have known he wouldn't simply remain at home.

He walked through the door to see his father talking with Sgt. Mendoza. Victoria was nowhere in sight so he expected that she was busy in the kitchen.

His father was the first to speak. "Done already?" he asked.

"For the moment," Diego said. "We're on schedule for typesetting tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the paper this week," Mendoza said, then hastily. "Not that I don't always look forward to it." He looked at Felipe. "You must be excited."

Felipe looked around uncomfortably. Diego said, "You know Felipe. He's not one to want to boast."

"He doesn't need to," Alejandro said. "His courage is visible to us all." He looked to the bar where Señor Calvillo was presiding. "We should celebrate it." He quickly got glasses of juice for them all before raising a glass to Felipe. "To a most resourceful young man."

The four of them clinked their glasses together and took a drink.

Diego looked at Felipe with a bright smile. "You were right, Felipe. A handicap doesn't have to be an impediment. You can do whatever you set out to do." _Pretend if you wish or drop your disguise, I am still proud of you._

Felipe smiled back.

Mendoza broke in. "You know, Felipe, the military recruiting officer is going to be here next month. We could use a clever young man like you in the ranks."

Felipe shook his head and made a few sweeping signs which seemed to confuse Mendoza. Diego spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Sergeant," he said, patting Felipe on the shoulder. "Felipe has his eye on bigger things. He says he wants to help people fight injustice and is thinking of becoming a lawyer."

Shocked, Mendoza blurted, "A lawyer? But he's deaf. He can't talk." Alejandro glared at the Sergeant, who still stuttered on. "I mean... he is handicapped."

"I wouldn't tell him that, Sergeant," Diego said firmly. "Somehow, I don't think it's going to matter much."

"And so it shouldn't," Victoria said coming up behind the sergeant. "Felipe is very capable of doing anything he puts his mind to." Mendoza had the grace to look thoroughly abashed. Victoria looked around the group and with a smile and easy tone said, "And right now I hope he and the rest of you have a good appetite for lunch as I have something special for you."

A relieved look on his face, Mendoza said, "You know I always have a good appetite, señorita."

Everyone crossed the tavern to take seats at one of the larger tables except Felipe who held to the back of the group. He subtly touched Diego on the arm.

"What is it Felipe?"

Felipe smiled broadly, pointed to his ears, then to the Sergeant, and made a circular motion with his palm over his stomach.

"Indeed," Diego said. "One doesn't need to be able to hear to know when the good Sergeant's stomach is growling."

~Z~Z~Z~

After lunch was finished, Don Alejandro decided to return to the hacienda, and Felipe rode back with him. Diego was pleased that everything seemed to be back to normal between him and his father. Perhaps he'd simply needed to air his concerns to a contemporary in order to get past them, and Diego was relieved to think that they would not have to speak of it again.

As it was he would rather spend some time with Victoria. As an excuse, he asked about her garden planter. He hadn't checked on it for some time and he wondered if it might have some signs of rusting. Knowing it was an excuse, Victoria still agreed and the two of them walked into the garden behind the tavern.

"Your planter is working very nicely," she said. "The weather hasn't really affected it at all, and Señor Calvillo has been applying the oil to it regularly."

"I should still check it over anyway," Diego said, with a belated sense of honesty. "It won't take a moment."

Victoria sighed. Diego would get distracted at the most annoying moments. "All right, but then tell me, is everything good with your father?"

"Yes, I think we're past the worst of it."

"And Felipe?"

"We talked. I know you heard that he's considering law."

"An excellent idea. And what about the trip?" she asked.

"I think he'll go. He deserves a break from all this," Diego said.

A thought struck Victoria. "But what about..." She put her hand to her ear. "If it's to be a proper holiday, your aunt and uncle need to know..."

Diego hadn't really thought about it being a problem, but then it wasn't really his place to decide, was it? "It will be up to Felipe, and we still have two months to worry over it." He looked over the wheel. Everything did seem tight and working smoothly, and the plants seemed to be thriving nicely.

"In between finalizing the wedding plans," Victoria said, as Diego stood up.

"Oh, yes, the wedding," Diego said taking her hands in his.

"What is it?" Victoria asked, noting the exceptionally broad smile on Diego's face.

"Oh, just something funny. I've read a few philosophers say that the joy is in the journey and not the destination."

"And what's funny about that?"

He leaned down and kissed her. "If any of them had been engaged to you, I think their philosophy would have been a little different."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been neglecting Felipe lately. Partly because the focus is mainly Victoria and Diego's relationship but more embarrassingly because I have such a hard time writing Felipe's character. But this was very much a Felipe story, and I can't ignore him, though I'm afraid I haven't done him justice. Ghetto Outlaw helped a bit more than usual in trying to improve what I initially wrote, so if somehow they do work, it's thanks to his efforts. 
> 
> I originally wanted Alejandro to find out Diego was Zorro in this story, but then I started my "Silk Purses & Sow's Ears" story and suddenly lost confidence in Alejandro's discretion after his asinine bet-making. So I decided to postpone his finding out, though he will be learning it early in season four.
> 
> This was a hard one in many ways. I originally wanted to start this right near the end after Alejandro called Diego a coward, but I realized that Felipe's issues were too important to be skimped on, and that they weren't just going to be the same as the original episode's, so I had to start earlier. And then when I was writing I found that Diego was far more excited about Felipe speaking than wanting to deal with what his father said. Also, I thought that Alejandro might better be able to talk with Cecilio, since he was his brother-in-law than his son. Aside from wanting Diego to get an idea of what his father was thinking, the eavesdropping scene was necessity by the fact that I've made it a rule that to write from either Diego or Victoria's point of view and no others, so they need to be at least in a position to hear what is going on with other characters.
> 
> Also, one thing I really felt I had to change was Felipe's desire to join the army from the original episode. While I could understand his desire to see the world and the fact that the military would be a route to fulfilling that urge, the fact that he'd spent several years fighting against soldiers oppressing the people, that his parents were killed by soldiers, just made this notion of Felipe believing he could serve his country as a soldier seem off, even if that's what Don Alejandro once did. Also, with Diego's family visiting there are other travel possibilities at Felipe's door so I decided to go in another direction and just deal with Felipe's restlessness and Diego's conflicting desire to reassure Felipe that he can do what he wishes at home and give him the opportunity to fulfill his dreams even if he wants to travel elsewhere. 
> 
> However, as I was writing, I realized that I might be giving the impression that I'm planning to ship Felipe off with Cecilio and Magdalena permanently, but that is not the case as he is far too important to be treated so cavalierly even if I do have trouble writing him and have been neglecting his character. But with the trip after the wedding, he might not be back for the first story of season 4. This whole scenario is about given Felipe a little space and time away from home, basically his less hard to believe version of "One for All" (much as I love the show the idea that Diego would only be gone for 3 months on a trip to France pushed my suspension of disbelief past the breaking point). If Diego needed a break from Zorro, Felipe certainly needs one from being Zorro's assistant. I have not yet decided whether or not they'll use that trip to have Felipe "regain" his hearing, but I'm definitely leaning towards the possibility. 
> 
> Also, watching the episode, I was actually struck by the fact that De Soto takes Felipe's ability to identify and testify against the bandits seriously, and even is impressed with him at the end. Unlike Ramone, he seems to take Felipe's muteness and deafness in stride without acting like Felipe's any more deficient than any one else. It just seems odd in a man who is such a bigot over racial lines. I have to wonder if there was someone he'd been close to who was deaf. Just a random thought that popped up as I was writing this so I put some of those thoughts in Victoria's head.
> 
> And the scene of Diego repairing his disguise in the cave was prompted by a discussion of the NWZ fanfiction Facebook group, as originally I had him working on an undefined experiment. The topic wasn't really sewing though it was mentioned in passing, but it did turn my mind to the thought that Diego had to have at least rudimentary sewing skills as his outfits would require repair, and while he's rich, I don't think it would be so simple to replace everything quickly; at some point he'd need to make do with what he had on hand. Though I suppose it's possible that somewhere there was an obscure tailor or seamstress who never asked questions about the repair jobs, I prefer to think that Diego managed for himself. Of course, there's the question of the Zorro costume itself, but I think someone else (CrazyJan?) had him ordering the shirts and pants from different tailors in different places, which is a sensible idea.


	28. Decisions, Decisions (Set between "The Word" and "Balancing the Books")

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are a few things Diego's forgotten when it comes to the wedding.

Diego stood with his uncle and Felipe watching as Victoria drove away with his aunt Magdalena. They were going to check over the work that had been done at the Segovia hacienda. While the land was being left to be a land and game preserve, his father still retained legal ownership over the hacienda and its immediate surroundings which he had left to the care of the Segovia's most trusted servants, with the notion of being able to use the hacienda as a place for guests in the event of a family gathering as large as Don Alejandro intended for the wedding to be, though at the time he made the initial decision he had despaired of ever getting his son to the altar. It had shown a certain amount of prescience to keep the house as it seemed there would be enough guests to fill both haciendas.

In order to properly prepare for the guests, Magdalena and Victoria had been going over the guest rooms with the Segovia housekeeper and had overseen some necessary redecoration and acquisition of new linens and blankets. Today they were going to see how the redecorating was progressing and to enjoy a picnic lunch immediately afterwards. Diego had asked if he might accompany them, but his aunt was quick to say that this was an affair for ladies only, and that she was sure that he'd find plenty to occupy his time, giving his uncle a look that he clearly understood though Diego didn't. However frustrating it was, he wouldn't begrudge Victoria spending time with his aunt as he had hoped that they would become friends.

So it was that he stood waving them off as they left before turning to his uncle. "What was that look about, Uncle Cecilio?" he asked.

"Oh that," his uncle said. "Diego, have you really not picked a best man yet?"

"What?" Diego asked, surprised at the question..

"Your best man?" Don Cecilio reiterated. "Your aunt reminded me that it was my job to see that you get everything into order, and she said that Victoria didn't know who your best man was and that I should find that out immediately as there are only two months until the wedding."

"Two months, one week and four days," Diego muttered under his breath, before saying in a louder voice, "I know I've been putting things off, but it seemed pointless to decide some things until closer to the wedding. After all there isn't much that a best man needs to do outside of the ceremony."

Don Cecilio sighed. "Well, Diego far be it from me to point out the obvious, but now it _is_ close to the wedding, and you need a best man. Who will it be?"

"It should be Felipe," Diego said, turning to his young friend.

Felipe looked surprised and then immediately signed that he was too young.

"I'm not sure that you are," his uncle said. "Padre Benites would know for certain."

Felipe shook his head again then pointed to his eyes and then out and around. He didn't want to stand in front of the crowd; he'd had more than enough attention lately. He signed that Diego should pick someone older so that there was no question about it.

Diego sighed. "All right, if that's how you feel, I won't press you. But at least remember that you were my first choice for the job."

Felipe smiled and made some subdued waving motions, telling Diego he understood and to not worry.

Cecilio clapped them both on the shoulder before saying to Diego, "So now that that's settled who else do you have in mind, if anyone?"

Diego looked thoughtful. "Since I did wonder if Felipe was old enough, I had briefly considered my friend Ernesto Moraga, but he can't be certain about attending the wedding due to his current work." He paused thoughtfully. "Actually, I believe I should ask Sgt Mendoza. He's been a good friend, and he once asked me to be his best man, though those plans fell through."

"Indeed? Poor fellow."

"Not really, as the lady was rather fickle in her affections. But still..."

"Yes, well, I quite like the sergeant. He seems to be a good man if no intellectual giant."

"He does the best he can," Diego said. "So I take it your job today is to make sure I actually secure a best man."

"Yes, it is," Cecilio said. "And we should also probably speak to Padre Benites today as well. It's not that long before the banns need to be read."

That was something Diego was looking forward to. He knew that he had been neglecting things of late. He had seen to it that Victoria had gotten all the material for her wedding clothes (almost all of which, with the exception of the wedding dress itself were now finished) and had had a new suit made for himself, but as his father had handled all the invitations and the planning for the wedding fiestas (the elaborateness of which took him aback), there seemed little enough for him to do. He preferred to think of the marriage which would follow rather than the celebration proceeding it. But he should have already confirmed who his best man would be rather than putting it off so long.

"Well, if we go into the pueblo for lunch, we should be able to accomplish both," Diego said. "Mendoza never says no to lunch, and it should be easy to find Padre Benites afterwards."

"Excellent. I would not want your aunt to return and find out we haven't taken care of this issue."

"Nor Victoria," Diego said. "I don't think I've quite made up for the last time I upset her yet, and I don't want to make a habit."

"Definitely not. One of a husband's most important duties is keeping his wife happy, and best to get into the habit now."

"I certainly will try," Diego said.

"You will probably succeed," Don Cecilio said, "if only you keep in mind that what makes you happy will not necessarily be the thing that makes her happy. In many ways, women are very mysterious creatures."

"Mysterious indeed, as I am observing more by the day." Diego furrowed his brow. "Uncle Cecilio, you've been married for a long time. Exactly how is it that women really think?"

Don Cecilio smiled. "When I figure that out, I promise I will let you know."

~Z~Z~Z~

After having thoroughly inspected the Segovia hacienda and seen that everything was progressing properly in order to be ready for the guests that would be arriving, Doña Magdalena and Victoria thanked the housekeeper before going to set up their picnic beneath a shady tree so they could enjoy the pleasant weather.

"I hope you don't mind my taking you away from Diego for the day," Magdalena said.

"Not at all," Victoria replied. "I have wanted to get to know you better. And I'm sure Diego's uncle is going to keep him quite busy."

"I am certain he will. I do trust that Cecilio will keep them on task; he can be a bit absent-minded at times, but I know I can trust him with important matters."

"Like getting my betrothed to pick his best man," Victoria said with a smile.

"Yes, like that," Magdalena said. "It reminds me of Cecilio. While he was eager for us to wed, he was completely indifferent as to the details. All his planning was for the marriage afterwards."

"That does sound familiar," Victoria said. "How did you and Don Cecilio manage?"

"By letting our parents handle everything," Magdalena said with a smile and then laughed. "Oh, I also remember getting a flood of advice from nearly every relative I had. Some good, some bad." Suddenly she stopped a more serious expression on her face. "I don't mean to pry, but I wonder if..."

Victoria understood what she meant and spoke. "My mother died before she could really talk to me about marriage. It was mostly explaining about... the changes I was experiencing. But after she died, I did have Abuelita— I mean, Doña Teresa Alvarez— she was Abuelita to so many of us."

"Yes, I remember Diego telling me about her though, of course, he always called her Doña Teresa. She sounded like a wonderful woman."

"She was. I owed so much to her and her advice for so many things. She gave me a pretty thorough education about men, though mostly about how to deal with them and keep them at arm's length, and the warning signs that a man might be trouble and how to protect myself. She'd grown up in a tavern herself before marrying, so she had a wealth of practical experience," Victoria said. "And she also encouraged me to enjoy my independence and to not be hasty in choosing a husband. She always said it was far better to stay single and independent than to choose the wrong man, simply to avoid being alone. And having seen how many men have behaved towards their wives, I agreed. I've always wanted a family, but never enough to give up my independence to a man that I could not trust to respect who I am." She smiled a little. "And then there was Diego."

"He is a good man and a devoted one. In many ways much like my Cecilio," Magdalena said reflectively. "We've been very happy together, and I expect that you and Diego will be the same. He has all the enthusiasm of the de la Vegas and the self-discipline of the de la Cruzes. And he clearly appreciates a woman who has passion of her own."

Victoria blushed.

Magdalena looked at Victoria. "Hmm, I rather suspect that the two of you have taken a few opportunities to explore that a bit."

"Not too much," Victoria was quick to say. "I wouldn't want you to think..."

"I don't," Magdalena said. "To tell the truth, I rather envy you the freedom you've had. When Cecilio and I were courting and betrothed, we were quite heavily chaperoned. For him to be able to sneak even a peck to my lips required a plan of distraction. And then the moment we were wed, everything was permitted and expected. Cecilio thought that was foolishness, even more when it was paired with the notion that the husband was supposed to have gotten practical experience with some other woman beforehand."

"You mean he didn't?" Victoria asked, with a little surprise.

"No, he certainly didn't. He always had high standards of personal behavior and felt it would be the height of hypocrisy to expect a virtue in a wife that he would not expect in himself. His brothers used to tease him that he would have made a better priest than a scholar. He never minded the teasing as he considered the troubles his brothers got into with women retaliation enough. He always said he could learn a lot from books, even on such a personal topic, and managed to find a few though, of course, he had to do it clandestinely. He always said it was ridiculous that the authorities were harder on those that wrote about the topic than those who actually committed the physical transgressions."

"He sounds like a very unusual man," Victoria said. While she preferred not to dwell on the matter as it made her quite angry, she knew full well the hypocritical double standard that allowed, no, encouraged men to take lovers before they married, but condemned the women that gave them that experience. She had spent far too much time fighting to not become one of those women, to retain her reputation and independence, to have anything but a generally cynical opinion of men's ability to remain chaste, especially when young. Not that she doubted Diego's fidelity, now or in the future, but...

"Not so very unusual," Magdalena said, breaking into her thoughts. "Men tend to want to brag of their prowess rather than their self control. Other men seem to act like it's because of a lack of virility rather than a form of self-mastery." She shrugged, then looked at Victoria. "You know, Diego takes rather more after Cecilio than his father in this."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes," Magdalena said. "Not that he talked to me about it, of course, but he talked with his uncle, who then talked to me, and naturally, I was well aware of the latest gossip or lack thereof, even if he didn't know it."

"Was there anything interesting?" Victoria asked, a sudden lightening of spirit making her aware of just how little she liked the idea of Diego having been with anyone else.

"Not much," Magdalena said. "I know he's told you about Zafira, which was a really misguided infatuation on his part. He was feeling particularly homesick and lonely at the time, but there was nothing untoward in that relationship, though I was relieved when it ended, as she was not particularly suited to him. Other than her, I recall earlier on there was a widow who had a taste for very tall young men (she was unusually tall herself) who tried to gain his attention, but he was too involved with his studies to even notice, and believe me, my dear, she was being very obvious, doing everything but fall into his lap. And there was a rather notorious married lady who did manage to get a few conversations and a kiss from him, but he was embarrassed that it had gotten even that far."

"He definitely left that out," Victoria said, easily able to imagine Diego trying to extract himself from an awkward situation.

"I'm not surprised. Actually the most interesting gossip was the nonsalacious exploits of him and his two friends Ernesto Moraga and Estevan Valverde. Not that Estevan was adverse to salacious ones; it's just that Diego and Ernesto tended to avoid those. Though I did hear an interesting story involving Ernesto and Estevan and a fight in a particularly notorious house."

"I have met Don Ernesto," Victoria said. "He was an interesting man. The more I hear of their other friend, the more I wonder how he ever became friends with Diego at all."

"He is a well-meaning rascal, surprisingly intelligent, though gifted with too much charm and too little ambition," Magdalena said. "In person, he can be quite likable even as you're appalled by his behavior. He so genuinely seems not to mean to cause the trouble he does. Luckily for Diego he quickly learned where to draw the line with Estevan's more reckless ideas, even as he got caught in the lesser ones."

"That does sound like Diego. He forgives so easily. And the description of well meaning and too little ambition reminds me a little of my brother Ramón," Victoria said with a sigh.

"You still haven't heard from him?" Magdalena asked.

Victoria shook her head. "And neither has Francisco or at least not by the time he sent his last letter. I've sent letters to all the places he's likely to receive them, but no luck so far."

Magdalena put her hand over Victoria's. "There's still time left, so don't give up hope."

"I won't." The two of them were silent for a moment, and Victoria, a little hesitatingly, looking away at the landscape, as she felt a little awkward about going back to their previous topic, said, "About what you said earlier, about how little... private time for romance the two of you had..."

"Yes?"

Victoria took a deep breath then spoke quickly. "How did you manage? The wedding night I mean... . Not that I'm asking for details, but it seems like things would be very... awkward."

Magdalena smiled. "As it happens neither of us were very bothered by feeling awkward. I mean, I appreciated that my husband was learning along with me. And Cecilio felt no need to rush us simply because it was expected; happily there was no reason to provide proof of just when we fully became man and wife, so we spent the first three days getting comfortable with each and after that it just became a question of being willing to learn what each other liked. I wouldn't change any of it for the world." She reached out to take Victoria's hand. "And I believe that it will be much the same for you and Diego."

"I certainly hope so."

"Do you love Diego?"

"What?" Victoria asked somewhat incredulously.

""Do you love Diego?" Magdalena patiently asked again.

"Well, of course I do! I love him dearly."

"I know you do," Magdalena said reassuringly. "I wasn't questioning that. My point is that you love him and he loves you. That is the perfect place to begin. The two of you will be fine."

"Learning together?"

"Precisely."

Victoria opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, trying to think of what she wanted to say but not finding quite the right words.

"What is it?" Magdalena asked.

"It's...it's just that...I was wondering...how long did it take you and Don Cecilio? I mean...to learn about each other and...what each other liked?"

Magdalena smiled wryly. "Oh, my dear, we still are."

~Z~Z~Z~

When Diego and Cecilio got to the pueblo, they found Mendoza was in the alcalde's office buried behind a pile of paperwork, his fingers stained with ink.

"Buenos días, Sergeant," Diego said. "I'd ask if I was interrupting, but obviously I am."

Mendoza looked up. "Oh, you know I think the alcalde saves this work for when he leaves town, just so he can correct it when he gets back."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Diego said. "I don't mean to interrupt you, but..." He broke off as the door opened and a tall, thin man came in, ignoring both Diego and Cecilio as he marched straight to the desk.

"Sergeant Mendoza!" the man exclaimed.

"Señor Perales," Mendoza answered a bit hesitantly.

"Are you not the acting alcalde?" the man asked.

"Uh... sí," Mendoza replied almost as if he were suddenly not entirely certain himself.

"Well?"

"Uhm... well?" Mendoza asked.

"Are you going to do your duty?" Señor Perales demanded.

Diego could tell that Mendoza was as confused as he was; it almost felt as if he had come into the middle of a conversation, except for the fact that this was the start.

Mendoza looked anxiously from the man to Diego and back again. "My... duty... I... I..."

Suddenly, another man, much shorter than the first though otherwise looking remarkably similar, burst in. "Aha! There you are Pepe!" he exclaimed, pointing accusingly at the man standing across the desk from Mendoza. "I should have known I would find you here!" He stormed across the room and stood toe-to-toe with the taller man, glaring up at him angrily.

"Señor Perales?" Mendoza said incredulously upon seeing the new arrival.

Diego felt Cecilio tap his shoulder. He turned to look at his uncle who simply raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh, the Perales brothers, Pepe and Pepito. They live on a farm just outside the pueblo. I can only guess why they're here."

"That's right, Pepito! And now that I'm here, I'm going to see justice done!" the first man declaimed.

"Justice indeed!" Pepito turned to face Mendoza. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to do your duty?" Pepito said, repeating the words his brother had spoken

"Uh... why... yes, of course. What duty exactly is it you want me to do?" Mendoza asked.

"Arrest this man!!" the brothers said at the same time.

"Gentlemen!" Mendoza began to implore but was immediately cut off.

"NO!" Pepito shouted. "I will not stand here while _he_ violates my home!"

"Violate?" Mendoza asked.

"Ha!" Pepe guffawed. "You've never had it so good. You're just angry you weren't able to make those babies on your own, half of which are rightfully mine!"

"You aren't getting a single one! Not one! They were born on my property and that makes them all mine!" Pepito shouted.

"And you wouldn't have a single one if it weren't for me!" Pepe retorted.

Mendoza jumped up from his seat, waving his hands wildly in the air. "SEÑORES! Please!" He ran around the desk and hastily closed the front door. "Please... this... this is all... indecent!"

"What's indecent," Pepito snarled, "is what this man is doing to my chickens!"

Diego could practically see the blood drain out of Mendoza's face. For a moment, he thought he would have to grab him to prevent him from fainting on the floor but he steadied himself with a hand on the door frame. "Madre de Dios," he choked.

Ignoring, Mendoza's protests, Pepito continued speaking, "Every night, his rooster sneaks into _my_ barn and..."

"Wait... wait... wait," Mendoza stammered. "Did you say... rooster?"

"Sí, Sergeant," Pepito said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"As in... a rooster... an actual rooster," he mimed flapping wings, "a real rooster?"

"Sí. I have put up a fence, I've set out dogs, and every night his rooster sneaks into _my_ barn and seduces _my_ chickens."

Mendoza rubbed his head. "Please, don't say 'seduce'."

"Seduce? Hardly!" Pepe sneered. "I see how those chickens of yours look at my Gallo Grande, who is a lot smarter than any of your dogs."

Pepito moved toward his brother with a raised fist, "How dare you speak that way about my chickens!"

Mendoza quickly thrust himself between the pair and extended his arms to create some distance between them.

"Chickens? More like a flock of evil temptresses!" Pepe asserted.

"Better than that rake of a rooster!" his brother countered.

"Señores! Stop!" Mendoza bellowed. The two fell silent and back away in the face of the sudden outburst. "That is enough! This is... it's... it's ridiculous! This is absurd!" He walked back around to the other side of the desk. "Look at the two of you! You're grown men acting like... little boys!"

"Sergeant Mendoza, I..." Pepe began meekly.

"No! I have had quite enough of both of you!" Mendoza ran his fingers through his hair. "This is no way for brothers to be acting," his said imploringly. "Brothers are supposed care about each other, not fight over... _chickens._ "

"We wouldn't be fighting like this if papa had left me the rooster," Pepito said somewhat sheepishly.

"A lot of good Gallo Grande has done me with no hens," Pepe mumbled.

Mendoza sank slowly into his chair. " _This_ is how all this got started? One of you inherited the rooster and the other the hens?"

"Sí," the brothers answered together.

For what seemed like a long time, Mendoza said nothing. At length, he sighed deeply, got to his feet and said, "Why don't you just share?"

"Share?" the two asked, as if the word were entirely foreign to them.

"Sí," Mendoza walked back around the desk to stand between the two. He placed a hand on Pepe's shoulder. "You can let your brother... umm... make use of your rooster's... uh... services. And you," he placed a hand on Pepito's shoulder, "you can share some of the... profits with your brother."

"Sergeant, that idea is the most brilliant thing I've ever heard!" Pepe gushed.

"Sí! Sí! We should have thought of that!"

"Well, it's like I've always said," Mendoza smiled, "there's plenty of chicken in the sea."

He escorted the two to the door, repeatedly shaking their hands in turn, graciously accepting their appreciation, and patiently listening to them swap apologies and promises to never act so rashly again. Finally, he saw them outside and hastily closed the door.

"That was amazing! You were brilliant, Sergeant!" Diego commended him.

"Inspiring," Cecilio added.

"Gracias, Don Diego." He trudged back to the desk and looked despairingly at the large stack of papers still needing his attention. "It's very kind of you to say."

"Oh, I'm not just being kind," Diego assured him. "That was amazingly diplomatic. You are a man of hidden qualities. It only proves that I was right."

"About what, Don Diego?"

"The idea of asking you to be my best man for my upcoming wedding."

Mendoza's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped slightly. "You... want... _me_ to be _your_ best man."

"That is, if you would honor me."

"I... I... I don't know what to say... I..."

"You could say yes," Cecilio chimed in.

A huge smile crept across Mendoza's face. He reach across the desk and shook Diego's hand enthusiastically. "Sí, Diego. It is you who honors me."

"I'm very glad, Sergeant. I'll let Victoria know right away. In the meantime, I better let you get back to work." He tapped the imposing stack.

"With any luck, I might be finished in time for the wedding," Mendoza said wryly.

Diego and Cecilio took their leave and had barely cleared the bottom step outside when Cecilio turned to his nephew, "I never knew poultry could be the cause of so much familial discord. Your Sergeant handled himself quite well. He really is a remarkable man."

"He is indeed." Diego looked back over his shoulder and through the window at Mendoza toiling away diligently.

_The best man._

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria and Doña Magdalena returned to the hacienda pleased with their day and glad to see Diego and Don Cecilio.

Diego was quick to help Victoria down from the wagon and after kissing her hand suggested they take a walk together, which she readily agreed to.

Once they were on their own, Diego said, "Sergeant Mendoza has agreed to be my best man."

"Mendoza?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "I asked him after Felipe declined."

"I hope you didn't tell him that," Victoria said.

"Of course not," Diego said. "I wouldn't want to take away from his moment of triumph in dealing with the woes of the Perales brothers."

"The Perales? What was going on with them?" Victoria asked.

"A little matter of a cock in the hen house," Diego said.

Victoria looked confused. "Isn't that where it belongs?"

"Well, that was the subject of the disagreement," Diego said. "Mendoza did a good job of getting them to see sense."

"That is a miracle," Victoria said. "I didn't think that was possible."

"Yet, it happened," Diego said. "I saw it myself, and then asked him afterwards. Now, about your day, did you and Aunt Magdalena have a pleasant afternoon?"

Victoria smiled. "Yes, we did. The hacienda will be ready for guests on time, and it was good to get to learn more about her and your uncle... and a little about you," she said leaning against him.

"Good, I hope," Diego said, looking a little nervous.

Victoria looked him up and down. "Oh, it was good," she smiled devilishly, "mostly."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to do another in between story, but I just couldn't figure out a decent way of fitting the initial discussion into the previous one without having to delay it even further. It just didn't feel like it belonged there. And another bit was moved back from the wedding story as I didn't want to overload it even more. Also there's a bit of innuendo and wordplay going on in this chapter that makes it fit the T-rating a bit more than usual. And finally, the scene in the alcalde's office was written for the most part by Ghetto Outlaw.
> 
> I've been going back and forth on the notion of who Diego's best man should be. By all rights it should be Felipe, but he seemed a little young for the role, and I suspect he might not want to draw attention to himself by taking it on. And then there's Mendoza who once asked Diego to be his best man and who has been a good friend to the de la Vegas over the years. 
> 
> And one thing that makes this a bit of a challenge is that my research seems to indicate that what now are often considered the duties of a best man and maid of honor were performed by a married couple who acted as godparents to the marriage (padrinos de boda). And yet in the series, Diego was best man for his cousin and the aforementioned situation with Mendoza. So likely more anachronisms, or the fact that I'm neither Spanish nor Catholic and I'm not sure what has or has not changed over the years. Generally, I'd ignore it as I don't actually intend to depict the wedding ceremony itself, but still I am trying for a mix of the series' anachronisms and history and probably botching both.
> 
> The references to the Segovia lands come from the episode "Heir Apparent" where Don Alejandro had been willed all the property by Don Roberto since his son Gregorio was presumed dead. The property was turned to a nature preserve; however, I did think that it would be unlikely to just let the house go to rack and ruin, and decided that rather than overloading the hacienda and the tavern with the wedding guests, it would make for good additional accommodations.
> 
> Also the conversation between Victoria and Magdalena was originally going to go in the "Balancing the Books" story, but there is already so much that will be happening there that it seemed best to move this back as it really is more of a getting to know you type conversation, and once the families start arriving there is going to be a lot more raucous interactions going on. I thought it best to give them some quiet time before that happens, and I do like slipping a bit more of Diego's aunt and uncle's history into the story. And it might be a bit obvious that I absolutely loathe the sexual double standard where a man could have any number of lovers and not be thought too much the worse of (unless he was seducing "respectable" maidens or forcing himself on women in general), while a woman would be thought a trollop and unworthy of any respect if she lost her virginity, no matter the reasons why (unless of course she was an aristocrat with the right connections). So as I really prefer chaste heroes, despite what would be historically most likely, in my stories, Diego will always have resisted temptation, and perhaps that's why he was such a good swordsman (after all, there was a lot of repressed energy to burn off). He also seemed a bit naive when it came to women even if he could be charming and romantic. In any event, I far prefer the idea of the two of them learning things together.
> 
> But anyway, I did enjoy writing the Victoria - Magdalena conversation (as I've become quite fond of Diego's aunt and uncle), but I was having trouble coming up with something interesting for Diego's trip into the pueblo. The initial bit I wrote was so dull that I was considering cutting it entirely but the story felt unbalanced, and I wanted something with a bit more... anything really. So I was brainstorming with Ghetto Outlaw (who is an awesome sounding board), and we ended up coming up with the scenario of the brothers arguing over chickens, and then he was interested enough to want to write it himself, so since that part was vexing me, I agreed. However, don't blame him for the Pepe/Pepito naming thing as that was my idea (along with a sister named Perdita who did not make it in); anyway, if this scene made you laugh, it is all his doing. 
> 
> Honestly, I could not get through this epically long writing journey without Ghetto Outlaw. Most of the time he's functioning as a beta reader, but sometimes like now he's my silent collaborator. These stories are definitely the better for his contributions at whatever level they are.
> 
> Next Up: "Balancing the Books", the wedding, and the end of season 3.


	29. Turning the Page (Balancing the Books) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Diego and Victoria are preparing to marry, Mendoza comes into some money and some trouble. The wedding story and the end of season 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Balancing the Books" was written by Robert L McCullough.

De Soto stood on the edge of the fountain, looking his most pompous. "Good people of Los Angeles... My friends, my neighbors... Today we are a step closer to providing a marvelous new irrigation system serving all of Los Angeles."

"Just how close are we now, Alcalde?" Victoria asked, as it seemed like the irrigation system was perpetually out of reach no matter how many "steps" closer they supposedly got.

"Well, closer," De Soto said, deliberately vague as usual. "With our new pueblo lottery, we will be able to provide such marvelous civic improvements... with no new taxes!"

_That was for Diego's friend Ernesto,_ Victoria thought. _He doesn't want to get into trouble by levying an official tax_. But there was skulduggery here, and for once, she agreed the cleanest method would be to have Zorro on hand to track it. Thank goodness the expected arrival of more guests and Don Cecilio and Doña Magdalena's presence at the hacienda would help provide Diego an alibi.

Don Alejandro was not one to be silent, especially in the face of a new scheme. "Excuse me, Señor Alcalde, point of information. Isn't the purchase of every lottery ticket just another form of taxation?"

De Soto put on what Victoria assumed he thought was a benevolent expression, but Victoria thought looked more like a hungry crocodile. "No, no, no, de la Vega, you misunderstand. The purchase of every ticket is another chance for sudden wealth. Now..." He looked around and focused on Victoria. "Would the beautiful señorita help us make someone rich today?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. Did he have to be so obvious in trying to soft pedal his biggest detractors? Who did he think he was fooling? But she reached into the box that Mendoza was holding.

"And the winner of five thousand tax-free pesos is..." De Soto said as she pulled out the ticket.

Looking at the paper, Victoria read, "6-5-5."

Repeating the number, De Soto looked around as no one claimed it. "Don't be shy now. The winner please step forward. The winner of five thousand pesos, please come forward. Don't be shy. Number 6-5-5." People milled around staring at their tickets forlornly. De Soto spoke again. "Now I must remind you that if the winner is not present, the prize money must be returned to the general fund."

Victoria was disgusted with De Soto's obviousness. And then she heard Zorro's voice. Everyone looked up to see him standing on the cuartel roof.

"The general fund you're building to make yourself look good in front of the governor, Alcalde?"

"Zorro! I cannot be held responsible if the winner is not present!" De Soto insisted.

"Oh, I think you can. Señorita Escalante, chose another number, please," Zorro said.

De Soto started protesting weakly. "No... uh, just a moment, Señorita... No, please, uh... ."

Victoria ignored him and pulled out another ticket. "6-5-5," she read in disgust before pulling out another one and reading the same number again. Throwing the tickets at him she said, "They're all the same number!"

The crowd was immediately angry and De Soto was quick to try to cover his crooked behavior. "Be patient! Be patient! There must be an explanation! As your alcalde, I will look into this immediately! I will appoint a commission to investigate!"

Zorro was quick to respond. "Don't bother, Alcalde." He threw down a bag. "Here are your lottery tickets! I retrieved them last night from the garrison's trash dump. Some unscrupulous person must have dropped them there. I suggest you draw again— from that bag— Señorita."

Glaring at De Soto, who was eyeing the crowd warily, Victoria reached into the bag and pulled out a ticket. Looking at it, she said, "the winning number is 3-7-1."

Distracted from De Soto, the crowd looked at their tickets. Suddenly Mendoza started jumping up and down. "I won! I won! I'm rich!" Then as the shock really hit him, he fell backwards in a faint, fortunately caught before he hit the ground.

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day, Diego, Alejandro, and Felipe went to the tavern for lunch. Don Cecilio was showing signs of a cold, and Doña Magdalena was looking after him. They found Mendoza in a more than ordinarily gregarious mood, buying lunch for the whole tavern.

"Hey, drink up! Drink up! I am paying!" Mendoza said, kissing Alicia on the cheek as he took her tray from her before carrying it over to the bar.

"You're very generous, Sergeant. But you don't want to squander your new found wealth on buying lunches," Diego said.

Don Alejandro spoke up and said, "With all of this found wealth, I think you should travel. Maybe see the world."

With a look of distaste, Mendoza said, "Oh, that involves horses... ships..."

A little lightly and not at all seriously, Diego said, "I know. A fabulous wardrobe. You could dress like a true caballero."

Mendoza immediately demurred. "Ah... I prefer to dress for comfort, Don Diego."

"Sergeant Mendoza," Don Alejandro said. "You've got the money to do whatever makes you happy. The question is: what do you want?"

"Ah, I'm a very simple man. I just want to be loved," Mendoza said, sincerely.

"Now, isn't that sweet?" Victoria said with a smile.

Continuing, Mendoza added, "I would like to have a family, a home."

Ever practical and concerned, Victoria said, "But, Sergeant, what do you truly have to offer a woman? Before you know it, your money might be spent, loaned, squandered..."

"Taxed, eroded by inflation," Don Alejandro added.

"And a woman and children, they need a roof over their heads. They need security," Victoria said, not looking at Diego. Then with a flushed expression, she headed back into the kitchen.

Diego stared at the kitchen curtains for a moment before looking back at Mendoza. "Victoria's right. What you need is a house."

Mendoza smiled and stared dreamily into space. "A house," he whispered airily.

"An excellent idea, Sergeant," Alejandro exclaimed as he clapped Mendoza on the shoulder. "You can't go wrong with a house."

~Z~Z~Z~

Los Angeles did not have a large number of available homes, so it took Diego very little time to come up with one that seemed like it might suit the sergeant. The two of them rode out together.

As Mendoza first viewed the somewhat ramshackle dwelling with some discontent, Diego said, "The Muñoz family raised seven beautiful children here."

Skeptically, Mendoza said, "Yes, and their seven beautiful children nearly destroyed it."

Diego didn't think Mendoza was properly opening himself to the possibilities or the realities of how far his money could go. "Well, I am not saying it hasn't been lived in. But for the price they're asking, you'll have enough money left to make some improvements. Perhaps even enlarge the kitchen." Knowing Mendoza's love of eating, he thought this was a good selling point.

"Maybe build a ballroom?" Mendoza asked.

"A ballroom?" Diego was a little stunned at the idea.

"Yes!" Mendoza exclaimed. "If I am going to attract the finest women in the territory, my house has to be the biggest... the fanciest... the most elegant..."

"Sergeant, I think overbuilding would be a mistake," Diego said. "I think the right woman would be satisfied with a comfortable home where the roof doesn't leak and she has the most modern conveniences."

"Sure, you can say that, Don Diego. Señorita Victoria is moving into your lovely hacienda..."

"Which doesn't have a ball room, and she's said she would be happy enough if we were living in the tavern. The important thing is to have a place you can make a home."

Mendoza looked around. "I suppose so," he said. "But surely something can be done to make this place more... elegant."

"I believe that it can be done," Diego said. "You just need to look at what you have here and see where it could be improved or expanded with the least difficulty." He clapped his hand on Mendoza's shoulder. "Just give it some thought."

Taking a deep breath, Mendoza said, "I will."

~Z~Z~Z~

It didn't take long for Mendoza to decide that the Muñoz property was the right one, and once bought he turned directly to considering the renovations. Diego was able to look over the initial ideas but then the business of putting together the newspaper as well as wedding related matters got in the way, and he didn't see Mendoza except for in passing for a couple of days.

He was a little surprised to see Mendoza come into the newspaper office as he was cleaning the ink off his hands.

"Good afternoon, Sergeant," he said pleasantly. "What can I do for you? An additional copy of the paper or something else?"

Mendoza looked a bit awkwardly at the floor and hemmed and hawed for a moment before saying. "Don Diego, I wanted to thank you for all your suggestions about renovating my new home." He paused for the moment and Diego waited for him to continue. "However, you see, the alcalde has offered to help me. He's got a bunch of architectural know how, and I know you are very busy with the wedding preparations and all the family you've got coming. It's only six weeks to your wedding, so since he's being so generous..."

"You know I don't mind," Diego said, feeling very skeptical about De Soto's "generosity". "You're my friend and my best man. It's really not much trouble. Are you sure you want to depend on the alcalde for this? He's a busy man too."

Mendoza nodded. "He seems to know what he's talking about, and he's got some good ideas, Don Diego. I don't really feel like I can say no."

Diego believed him there. So though he was not feeling optimistic, he merely smiled and said, "Well, I'm sure it will turn out for the best."

~Z~Z~Z~

While Diego meant to keep an eye on things, he found it difficult to do so, as he was kept busy over the next couple of weeks helping with the preparations for the guests, including an out of town trip that had him and Felipe acquiring some more supplies for the cave as well as for the upcoming fiestas. He knew this would be their last chance before the wedding as there would be too many people and too many responsibilities for them to slip away again, and he wanted to be prepared for any forthcoming emergencies.

Before he knew it, it was the beginning of May, and Great Aunt Catalina was due to arrive along with two of her grandchildren, Teo and Lucretia, and their attendant servants. The rest of her family would be arriving much closer to the wedding, but since they represented the largest number of guests they would all be staying at the Segovia hacienda. However, the plans for the day were for the family to arrive at the de la Vega hacienda while their retinue would go to the other and make sure everything was unpacked.

Diego would have wondered why Aunt Catalina would travel half a day to spend a month near the family, but he already knew she didn't particularly like to travel, so when she did she was in no hurry to leave, and that she most definitely wanted to spend some time getting to know Victoria better. Also, he suspected that she and her son Horacio had butted heads again over some matter, and that he was insisting on remaining at the hacienda to oversee things until the last possible moment. In any event, Horacio was not scheduled to arrive until the Saturday before the wedding.

It was late afternoon when Aunt Catalina's carriage arrived. Don Alejandro had gotten caught up in an issue involving one of the fences and was still washing up in his room, and Victoria was with Maria in the kitchen, so Diego and Felipe went out to greet them on their own.

After the carriage stopped, his cousin Teo hopped out in order to help his grandmother and sister down. After greeting them all, Diego was quick to offer his great aunt his arm to help support her towards the house, even as she firmly held her cane in her other hand, while Teo went to speak to Miguel and the servants driving the wagon with the majority of their luggage as they would be going directly to the other hacienda to have everything ready for the family's arrival, as Doña Catalina could be very exacting. Lucretia walked ahead with Felipe into the hacienda.

"You are looking very pleased with life, young Diego," Doña Catalina said.

"How can I not be, Aunt?" Diego asked. "I will be marrying the woman I love in exactly a month, and of course, am delighted to have so many family members making the trip."

Doña Catalina smiled crookedly at him. "I'm sure you're thrilled to pieces," she said dryly. "So many people to keep you and your lady from spending time together."

"But it is not too long until there will be nothing to keep us apart," Diego said, as the reached the front door.

"Ah, the simplicity of youth," Doña Catalina said. "Enjoy that while you can."

They entered the hacienda, and Diego helped her towards a chair when she refused the offer to go to one of the guest rooms to refresh herself as it seemed that Lucretia was doing as neither she nor his Aunt Magdalena was visible at the moment.

"No, I'd rather just rest in a chair that's not moving," she said.

Don Alejandro appeared from his room just as Diego placed a footstool in front of her "Aunt Catalina, I'm sorry wasn't outside to greet you."

"Nonsense," she replied. "You knew I'd want to see Diego first anyway."

Doña Magdalena and Don Cecilio entered the room at that moment, and Doña Catalina looked up at them expectantly.

Don Alejandro said, "Aunt Catalina, this is my brother-in-law and his wife, Cecilio and Magdalena de la Cruz."

Doña Catalina peered at Don Cecilio for a moment. "I can see the resemblance to your sister. It's in the eyes, I think." She then smiled at Doña Magdalena. "And it is a pleasure to meet you as well, though I do pity you having to deal with all of the de la Vegas gathering here."

"Oh, that's not too difficult. They are not that different from the de la Cruzes in essentials," Doña Magdalena said. "Or even my own family, the de Montoyas. Stubborn to the bone, all of them."

"Each in their different ways, I suppose," Doña Catalina said.

"I suppose you could say that," she said.

Teo entered the house at that moment. "Grandmother, everything's set," he said brightly. "Hola, Uncle Alejandro."

"Hola, Teo," Don Alejandro said. "This is Don Cecilio and his wife Doña Magdalena, my brother and sister-in-law."

"An honor to meet you," Teo said. "Where's Lucretia?"

"Here, I am," she called appearing from the back followed by Victoria, carrying a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and glasses.

Diego immediately went to Victoria's side, taking the tray from her to carry it to the table. "Since it's been a while, Teo, this is my soon to be wife, Victoria Escalante, and Victoria, this is Lucretia's brother, Teo."

"Mucho gusto," Victoria said. "It's been a long time. Also, I'm very pleased to see you again, Doña Catalina."

The old woman looked up at her. "And I'm very pleased to see you, but no more 'Doña Catalina' from you, my dear. You're family now or near enough and should call me aunt. I hate unnecessary formality." She grinned broadly. "One of the advantages of getting to be my age is that I can say what I wish."

"Not that that stopped you when you were younger, Aunt Catalina," Don Alejandro said.

"True, it's just that now they don't complain... as much," she replied. "Now for heaven's sake, everyone sit down; you're all too tall at the moment."

Don Alejandro poured out the lemonade and Diego helped him pass the glasses around before going to sit next to Victoria.

"Ah, this is refreshing," Doña Catalina said. "Your own, Victoria?"

"Yes," she said. "It took some doing, but Maria now agrees that mine is the better version."

"Have you won the kitchen power struggle already?" Doña Catalina asked.

Don Alejandro laughed. "There was no struggle of any consequence." Victoria suppressed a slight grimace as that was not entirely a true statement, but perhaps he simply didn't want to get bogged down in domestic issues, since he immediately asked Doña Catalina about her trip.

"It was more comfortable than I expected," she said, then turning to Diego added. "If you ever need to take up a trade, you could do quite well as a carriage maker. The modifications you suggested made for a far more comfortable ride. Though my old bones still aren't overly happy with the travel."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here rather than the other hacienda?" don Alejandro asked. "It would mean less traveling for you."

"It's kind of you to offer, but I can handle the short drives. In any event, with my family being the largest group visiting, it's better if we're together, where I can feel like we're imposing less. Besides," she smiled grimly. "I wouldn't wish to deprive you from hosting Rafael and his... wife in your home."

From her tone of voice, it seemed clear that Aunt Catalina didn't care too much for Margarita, a feeling Victoria shared though it was heavily mixed with embarrassment over her own behavior during Rafael and Margarita's brief foray into Los Angeles. She glanced at Diego, who silently indicated he would explain later if necessary.

"That's very generous of you, Aunt Catalina," Don Alejandro said with only a touch of sarcasm.

"Not at all," she said bluntly. "I just wish to minimize family strife, at this happiest of times." She grinned at Victoria and Diego. "And I think I might make the claim of being the first to point out the obvious. When I saw the two of you together last year, I knew you belonged together." She turned to Alejandro. "I don't know why you didn't do something about it sooner."

Don Alejandro shrugged. "I was waiting for Diego to make up his mind. And I know full well that you and your son believe the same."

"I wouldn't still be single otherwise," Lucretia said. "You and father promised that I wouldn't have to marry anyone who didn't appreciate me for me."

"Although I'd appreciate it if you and father wouldn't be so stubborn about our matches," Teo said. "Otherwise, I'd be engaged by now."

"You'd be engaged six times over," Lucretia said, with the hint of a giggle, before adding, "Teo is always falling in love."

"Not always," Teo grumbled.

"But often enough, and God willing you will marry but once," Aunt Catalina said, firmly. "Once married de la Vegas do not stray, so we will wait until you can manage to stay attached for more than a couple of months at a time. I won't have one of _my_ grandchildren bringing shame on the family."

"Sebastian was married quickly enough," Teo said.

"Sebastian wasn't always falling in love," Lucretia retorted quickly. "And you have to admit he and Isabel are very happy."

"Surprisingly so," Teo said. "Our brother's so serious, and she's so... lively."

"And thus keeps him from being too serious," Aunt Catalina said. "And she appreciates his dependable temperament. Your father is serious enough for all of you."

Diego leaned in and whispered to Victoria, "Is it almost time to eat yet?"

"Almost," she whispered back. "Or are you really asking for a distraction?"

"Perhaps. It's hard to stop Aunt Catalina when she gets started."

"Oh," Victoria smiled wryly, "but if today is any indication, it's very interesting when she does."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next two weeks, Diego and found himself very busy with family and the final preparations for the wedding. His father seemed determined to throw the largest wedding fiesta the pueblo had ever seen. And it was true that he got less time with Victoria than ever as the females of the family seemed determined to claim every minute of her time that she wasn't spending at the tavern.

It was fortunate that the alcalde was busy overseeing Mendoza's house and no other trouble appeared, as it would be extremely difficult for him to get away unnoticed during the day, especially since his cousin Teo seemed inclined to stick by his side like an overly enthusiastic puppy. While he liked the young man, his current lamenting about his lovely "celestial Celestina" made him want to roll his eyes at the overdone sentiment. He loved Victoria dearly and passionately, but he certainly felt no compelling need to rhapsodize to everyone in his vicinity. Of course, that could be a product of his having to keep his feelings hidden for so long. However, considering the number of young ladies he had heard his cousin describe as angels come to earth, he felt that heaven must be suffering a shortage, and he was no more inclined to take this infatuation any more seriously than the others.

He got on much better with Sebastian who was only a year older than him rather than four years younger as Teo was. Unlike his brother, Sebastian had never been inclined to fall in love with every pretty girl who crossed his path and took his responsibilities quite seriously, though he had a rather dry sense of humor which most never suspected. Diego knew that his father had not been overly pleased when Sebastian told him that he'd fallen in love with the daughter of a minor hacendado who lived near San Diego, but Sebastian was stubborn enough to carry his point, and now Horacio quite doted on his daughter-in-law; with good reason Diego thought, as Sebastian and Isabel were quite a formidable pair. And to further keep Sebastian in Diego's good graces, he rarely talked about his relationship with his wife, merely tending to look smug whenever the topic of marital felicity was brought up.

But there was about a week left before Sebastian and his family would be arriving as they had further to travel and were bringing their two children with them, which left Diego longing to find sufficient distractions for Teo. While he wasn't always around, when he was, he stuck to Diego's side like a burr. Diego had managed at one point during a visit to retreat with his Uncle Cecilio to the outbuilding that held his "public" experiments, but Teo had soon followed asking him a series of elementary and repetitious questions that he and his uncle took turns answering.

He did manage to snatch a few minutes with Victoria here and there, but never had he ever wished more that he could sneak back in through her kitchen window. It had been rather convenient to see her at unconventional hours, no one the wiser, but also very wrong, he reflected ruefully. It had been difficult enough to manage to find time to exercise Toronado; he had managed a couple of times by sneaking out before dawn. However, he mostly had to leave it to Felipe. And there was one day when he and Victoria managed to get away for a short ride alone, but that had been all too brief for both their tastes.

However, despite everything that was going on Diego had not forgotten about Mendoza's house, and though he had little time, he did ask Mendoza how things were going. He was a bit taken aback when Mendoza said he hadn't actually seen the work though he was assured that the alcalde had everything in hand. Suspicions raised; Diego wanted to see for himself. He had never been convinced that De Soto wouldn't be trying to find a way to reclaim the 5000 pesos or at least a sizeable proportion thereof and felt somewhat guilty that he'd been too distracted to inquire earlier.

So when he, his father, his uncle, and cousin were going to ride out one morning, he suggested they ride in the direction of Mendoza's property just to take a look. It would also allow Cecilio and Teo to see more of the surrounding area.

And what they found was enough to increase his suspicions, as the Alcalde had men guarding the site.

"Buenos días, Corporal Sepulveda," Don Alejandro said. "What in the world are you doing here today?"

"Guarding the construction site."

Teo asked, "Guarding it from what?"

Diego was busily examining what he could see, but it was hard to judge.

The corporal said, "We have our orders. You will have to leave immediately."

"Yes, sir," Don Alejandro said with a mocking salute.

Teo and Diego said good-bye as they turned their horses around; Diego riding ahead to catch up with his uncle who had held back from approaching the area where the soldiers were.

"Did you see something?" Diego asked Cecilio quietly.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "What I saw looks rather haphazardly put together, and I'm not sure if the materials are as strong as they should be. But it's difficult to tell from a distance."

"You're right," Diego said, deciding that this was a time for Zorro to investigate.

~Z~Z~Z~

Getting out that night posed only the slightest of challenges once the household had settled for the evening, and then he slipped down to the cave. After preparing a distraction for the guards, he rode out. The guards were obviously bored, and the small bomb he set off set them running for their horses and the pueblo, leaving him free to examine the building area.

Zorro walked over to the house and as he casually leaned against one of the porch posts, it fell apart in his hands. Then as he moved the pieces out of the way, some of the roof fell on him.

"No wonder the Alcalde has guards posted out here," Zorro said. He couldn't believe that De Soto believed he could get away with this.

After some consideration, Diego decided that it would be best if Zorro confronted De Soto about what was going on, since he didn't want to explain how he had discovered the chicanery when the soldiers had kept him away on his one public visit. This required a more complicated maneuver with both Victoria and Felipe providing him an alibi as they were supposedly all together on a ride and a picnic. But once he was out, it was easy for him to slip into the alcalde's office. Really De Soto's security was pitiful.

He didn't have to wait long, as De Soto entered the office ordering coffee from one of the privates as he did so. Zorro took this moment to appear.

"Coffee would be splendid," Zorro said, tossing his hat past De Soto where it landed on the coat rack. "It's been a long night."

"You've made a serious mistake this time, my friend," De Soto said, as he drew his sword.

_Overconfident as always_ , Zorro thought. "Nobody's perfect," he said, spreading his arms wide.

De Soto glanced over his shoulder. "That door is still locked."

As if that would stop him escaping. When would the man learn?

"The only way out is past my entire garrison of lancers," De Soto continued.

_Enough_. Zorro unsheathed his sword. "In that case, I'll stay for awhile."

"Let me give you a proper welcome," De Soto said, before lunging at Zorro.

Easily sidestepping, Zorro smacked De Soto's bottom with the flat of his blade as he passed.

"I appreciate your hospitality, Alcalde, but I'm here on a business matter," he said.

"Really?" De Soto said, annoyed. "How can I be of service?" He attacked again.

Zorro blocked and held De Soto's sword as they circled each other. "It's about the shoddy workmanship that's being done out at Sergeant Mendoza's new house."

Scoffing, De Soto said, "You're hardly qualified to offer an opinion on such matters."

_More qualified than you_ , Zorro thought as he lifted his saber. Predictably De Soto immediately attacked. Tossing his sword to the side, he jumped and grabbed the ceiling beam before kicking De Soto in the stomach, knocking him to the floor.

Grabbing his sword and filled with anger, Zorro said, "Sergeant Mendoza's house is being built with rusty nails..." He slashed a Z into a wall determined to give De Soto something to think about. "... rotten wood..." another Z, "... wet adobe..." yet another Z, "... broken tiles..." a fourth Z before spotting De Soto's favorite painting of Machiavelli, perhaps that one..."Hello..." He drew back his sword to strike, when De Soto spoke.

"Not that!" he shouted.

_Oh, no, not that easy, Ignacio. Not after what you have been doing_. "If you insist," Zorro said as he grabbed the portrait and then brought it down over De Soto's head before punching De Soto through the front doors of the office.

Grabbing his hat from the stand, Zorro moved out onto the porch, saber out. "You're taking all of Sergeant Mendoza's money and destroying his house."

Unabashed, De Soto said, "Let's just say the peso doesn't go as far as it once did."

"No, let's just say you return all of Mendoza's money or the governor will receive a letter detailing your fraud and you could be sent back to Madrid in chains," Zorro spat out. He cut a final Z into De Soto's jacket before saying, "What do you know? This door isn't locked after all. Adiós."

~Z~Z~Z~

After dinner, Diego and Victoria managed to excuse themselves to walk in the garden. The evening was warm and pleasant, and they sat on a bench that was partially concealed from the view of anyone from the hacienda.

Victoria smiled at him before leaning into his shoulder. "Getting tired of the wedding preparations?" she asked mildly.

"I admit that I'm looking more forward to our marriage than the wedding," he said, taking one of her hands in his. "When there's nothing keeping us apart, and if we want to be alone, we simply can be without worrying about when someone might appear." He looked back at the hacienda, knowing full well that if they were out too long, his father or his uncle or his aunt would come for them. But he didn't want to get gloomy while they had this time. For some odd reason a scene from _Hamlet_ popped into his head. He laughed slightly.

"What is it?" Victoria asked looking up at him.

"Oh, nothing of importance, I was just thinking that once we're married I could ask in perfect freedom, 'Lady, shall I lie in your lap?'" he said.

"What?" she asked.

"'I mean, my head upon your lap?'" he continued, and then at her stare. "That's from _Hamlet_."

She stared at him for a moment. "Oh, yes, when the idiot prince is being cruel to the lady he supposedly loves," she said with a slight huff. "Is that really who you want to be quoting on a lovely night like this?"

"Well, no perhaps not," he said. "Then perhaps, _Romeo and Juliet_?" He took her hand. "'If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.'" He kissed her hand.

Victoria smiled but with a mock serious tone said, "Yes, lovely words, but wasn't he desperately in love with someone else right up until he saw Juliet, and then he was desperately in love with her, and I can't help but think he would eventually have been desperately in love with someone else if they hadn't both ended up dead."

Diego gave a dramatic sigh. "You're right, I don't particularly want to sound the cad or imply we have a tragic end in store for us." He fell into thought for a few moments. "Well, then perhaps this will please my very particular love," he said with a slight smile as he caressed her face. "Shakespeare's sonnet 130: 'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; coral is far more red than her lips' red,'" as his fingers traced a line to her lips, "'If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun.'" He smiled mischievously at her widened eyes as he let his hand drift down to stop at her collar bone before continuing, "'If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.'" He gently ran his fingers through her hair and noted her eyes had closed.

His hand moved back to her cheeks. "'I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks.'" Then leaning forward till he was close to her mouth, he said, "'And in some perfumes is there more delight than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.'" He saw the flash in her eyes as they opened before he moved to whisper in her ear. "'I love to hear her speak, yet well I know that music hath a far more pleasing sound.'" He leaned back slightly and despite temptation, let his hand trace down her arm as he spoke the next lines. "'I grant I never saw a goddess go; my mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.'" He moved back slightly so he could look into her eyes for the final lines. "'And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare.'"

Victoria leaned forward and kissed him.

"So... better, my love?" he asked some long moments later.

"Much better," Victoria said, leaning back against him. "I have most definitely grown past the stage of wanting honeyed but shallow compliments. I prefer an honest and sincere love." She smiled a little wickedly. "But one where I'm also considered a flesh and blood woman rather than an angel on a pedestal."

"Oh, my love, I most definitely consider you a flesh and blood woman," Diego said, longing in his voice, "which is why I very much want the next two weeks to pass by as quickly as possible. Also," he added in an lower tone, "I much prefer to be thought of as a man rather than a legend."

"And I do," Victoria said, kissing him. "And I look forward to being able to call you husband."

They kissed again, only to be startled by the sound of Diego's father's voice calling them.

Victoria sighed as she straightened up. "Time's up," she said.

"Unfortunately," he replied giving her one brief kiss before standing up and offering her his hand.

She took it and stood, pulling on his hand to get him to lean forward for another kiss. "Soon though..."

He caressed her cheek. "Just not soon enough," he said with a sigh before they headed back inside.

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the way the family relationships are described or spoken about can be a bit fast and loose, but as I don't know enough about the Spanish system, I'm going with the general way relationships were done in English Regency, where mother-in-law could mean step mother among other things as well as some of my experiences about older relatives being called aunt and uncle even if they're technically not. Anyway that's the reasoning behind Catalina's grandchildren calling, Don Alejandro uncle when he's their first cousin once removed and Diego's a second cousin (if I have got the relationships straight). 
> 
> But to try to make things possibly clearer, possibly not; here's the basic family relationships. Doña Catalina is Alejandro's aunt, her husband was Alejandro's father's younger twin brother. Her only surviving child is Horacio, who is Alejandro's first cousin. Horacio has 3 children: Sebastian (who will be arriving later), Teodoro (Teo), and Lucretia, in that order. Sebastian is married to Isabel and has two children Isandro (4) and Rosita (2). 
> 
> Of course, Alejandro's actual nephew Rafael appeared in "The Best Man," and he is married to Margarita. They'll be appearing later as well.
> 
> Also, I had a lot of problems in writing this story, with my needing to go back and rewrite a number of scenes. The entrance of Doña Catalina and her grandchildren was one, as I had a difficult time juggling the characters and had to rearrange where everyone was more than once to minimize having them all just stand around. 
> 
> The Shakespearean scene was an add in, as while I was writing I noticed that while this is Victoria and Diego's wedding story, they actually didn't have much in the way of time together. I was a bit concerned about the sonnet section, as I'm not sure it worked the way I wanted it to. Also, I couldn't resist working in a bit of my dislike of Romeo and Juliet in as well, as I tend to see it as a tragedy of family hatreds not as a great romance (after all, despite all those who swoon over the thought of Romeo and Juliet's love story, there's a reason "Romeo" is another name for a player/womanizer). Anyway, I see Victoria as having matured from her initial infatuation for a dashing, heroic stranger in a mask and wanting something honest and real. Hence choosing that particular sonnet which is not about pretty exaggerations but love all the same.


	30. Turning the Page (Balancing the Books) Part 2

The next morning after surprisingly restless dreams that had nothing to do with Victoria, Diego woke up with the feeling that he may have pushed De Soto in the wrong direction with his confrontation. He knew the man was stubborn, and while the sensible choice would be for him to capitulate and return the majority of Mendoza's funds, Diego had a growing feeling that this wouldn't be so simple. It wasn't a case of rescinding a tax, but a double issue of pueblo funds and fraud.

He found his uncle in the garden. "Have Victoria and Aunt Magdalena already left?" he asked.

"Yes, not too long ago," Cecilio said. "Apparently Doña Catalina was quite insistent on their company. Women's business, she said."

"I'm not sure what they can be doing," Diego said.

"I don't think we're supposed to ask," Cecilio said, then looked at Diego more closely. "Though I don't think that's what you were really wanting to talk about."

"You're right," Diego said with a sigh. He moved towards the front garden wall, and his uncle followed him. "I'm somewhat concerned with something Zorro did yesterday," he continued quietly. There was no one around but he didn't intend to take any chances. "He took a closer look at the construction on Mendoza's hacienda, and as we've suspected, the quality was worse than merely poor."

"And?" Cecilio prompted.

"He confronted De Soto about it," Diego said. "And threatened him if he didn't refund Mendoza's money."

"And you're worried about whether or not that threat might make him behave more rather than less rashly."

Diego nodded. "I didn't go, as I didn't want to have to explain how or why I'd discovered what was going on."

"Perhaps, if you're concerned, you could get Mendoza and go with him to insist on an inspection of the work. It would certainly make it more public and less deniable, if, as you feel, the Alcalde might be tempted to drastic and unwanted action."

"A good notion, and would you care to come with me to add yet another witness?" Diego asked.

"I thought you'd never ask, nephew," Cecilio said.

~Z~Z~Z~

It wasn't too long before the two of them were in Los Angeles. Cecilio said he would go and speak to De Soto and try to feel out his attitude, while Diego could go look for the sergeant.

Agreeing, Diego headed for the tavern, a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure what it was, but he would feel better once he was sure the alcalde would do the right thing.

"You're in for an early lunch, Diego?" Señor Calvillo asked, as Diego came through the door. "Is Señorita Escalante coming too?"

"No, she's with my aunts. Actually I was looking for Sergeant Mendoza," Diego said.

"Well, he was in for an early breakfast before going out to look at his new house," Señor Calvillo said.

"He went out to the house alone?" _Of all the bad timing_ , Diego thought. _But perhaps I can still manage to join him._

"Yes," he said. "He said that you had told him that he should go out and see how his money was being spent... so he did."

Diego nodded distractedly before heading out the door. He saw his uncle looking around for him.

"Your alcalde isn't here," Cecilio said. "And his men don't know where he is."

"I don't like this," Diego said, as they mounted their horses. "Mendoza's apparently decided to listen to my advice and go check things out..."

"Do you think you should take a detour before we go?" Cecilio asked.

"Yes," Diego said. "In fact, I intend to ride on ahead, and I'd appreciate if you'd take things a little slowly and then see if my father would ride out with you to check on things. Just in case."

He needed to get back to the cave immediately. De Soto not in town. Mendoza finally investigating the work. This was not a good combination. He could only hope that the disaster he suspected was not in the offing.

~Z~Z~Z~

He could see the smoke from a distance. _No, no, no._ As he approached he could see De Soto moving away from the fire.

"Where's Sergeant Mendoza?" Zorro demanded.

De Soto looked confused. "Mendoza? How should I know? Stay back, Zorro, I'm... I'm trying to extinguish a fire." He grabbed a broom one-handed and slapped at the flames ineptly.

"Is that what you're doing?" Zorro asked skeptically.

Then at that moment they both could hear someone calling for help from inside the burning building. De Soto seemed genuinely shocked.

"He's in the house!" Zorro cried out as he headed running for the building. De Soto might have said something, but he was no longer paying any attention, focusing instead on finding Mendoza.

"Sergeant!" he called, trying to avoid the flames. Looking around he spotted Mendoza on the floor nearly overcome by the smoke. Quickly, he made his way to him and hoisted him up over his shoulder, and hurried out and away from the burning building before dropping him to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Zorro asked.

Mendoza was coughing. "Zorro, you saved my life."

"It's the least I could do..." Zorro said, as Mendoza crossed himself. "... for a friend. Besides I don't think the de la Vegas would forgive me if I let anything happen to Diego's best man."

There was more coughing from Mendoza, and Zorro helped him to sit up, hitting him on the back; he wished he'd thought to bring some water with him, but he'd been in a hurry and had not anticipated the fire. Standing up, he looked around for anything he could find to keep the fire from spreading, only to notice Toronado getting antsy and beyond him he could just make out the sight of horsemen in the distance. It was time to leave.

"I see some help is coming, Sergeant," Zorro said. "And that's my cue to exit. Will you be all right?"

"Yes, of course," Mendoza said with a wheeze. "Thank you, Zorro. Thank you for being my friend."

Zorro gave a small salute before mounting and riding off on Toronado before any of the horsemen were close enough to give chase.

~Z~Z~Z~

Zorro rode hard to return to the cave as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Felipe was there to take care of Toronado so that Diego could hurry to change, giving himself a quick wash to try to clear off the most obvious traces of his having been in the fire, and switch over to Esperanza before heading back in the direction of the smoke.

By the time he arrived the fires were out though there were some smoldering embers left. He saw his uncle wandering around the edge of the burnt out house, staying away from the lancers, while his father was talking to De Soto and Mendoza. Diego rode up in the direction of the smoke, in order to conceal the fact he smelled of it already.

As he pulled up on Esperanza, he heard his father saying, "What a shame. Do you know how the fire started?"

"Well, preliminary investigations are inconclusive. But my men are looking into it," De Soto said.

"Well, by the smell of things, they're not going to have to look too far," Don Alejandro said.

"Smell? I don't smell anything unusual."

"Kerosene, Alcalde," Cecilio said, as he approached from behind. "The place reeks of it."

"Ah, well, that must be it then," De Soto said. "A workman left a lantern burning and the wind blew it over."

Diego who had dismounted and joined the group was annoyed with De Soto's duplicity and said, "There hasn't been the slightest breeze for two weeks."

"Are you saying this fire was deliberately set?" De Soto said with patent insincerity.

"Oh, who would do something like that?" Mendoza asked.

Just then Sepulveda approached carrying a half-burnt hat.

"Ah, well, now this seems to answer all our questions," De Soto said.

"No, Alcalde. It wasn't Zorro. He saved my life," Mendoza said.

De Soto waxed sarcastic. "Really? And he just happened to be passing by, hmm? How convenient."

_I'm not dropping this,_ Diego thought. "Someone had a very good reason for keeping Sergeant Mendoza from making the improvements on his house."

De Soto spoke with exaggerated innocence. "You bring me the proof of that, Diego, and I will personally prosecute the individual. I put my creative blood into this project," he said, before turning to Mendoza. "It would have been a splendid house, Sergeant."

"I wanted to talk to you about that," Mendoza said. "There were so many things wrong with this house."

"Sergeant, you know every new house has some flaws to be worked out. But I assure you, this structure was going to be brought up to the highest possible standards." With an exaggerated sigh, De Soto added. "Alas, it won't be possible now."

"Look at it this way, Sergeant," Don Alejandro said. "The house wasn't completely finished, which means you have lots of money left over to build yourself another place huh?"

Mendoza smiled. "Well, this is true? Alcalde, how much money do I have left?"

"How much do you have left?" De Soto hemmed and hawed. "Well, after the cleanup and the debris is removed, I'm afraid there'll be little if anything left, Sergeant."

"What do you mean he has nothing left?" Don Alejandro asked angrily. "The man had five thousand pesos!"

"De la Vega, do you have any idea how much this kind of work costs? The labor alone... Such civic work is hardly free!"

"So Sergeant Mendoza's lottery winnings go straight back into the pueblo treasury. Is that it?" Diego asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"No," Diego said.

"What?" De Soto asked, taken aback.

"No," Diego said. "I mean if it's a question of clean up and saving some of Mendoza's money, we've got enough people who can take of the clean up. There's no need for the military to do the job."

"We are already out here," De Soto said. "And aren't your people all preparing for your wedding."

"We can certainly take the time," Cecilio said. "After all any friend of the de la Vegas is a friend of ours."

"Yes," Don Alejandro broke in. "And I'm sure that our guests will be very interested in hearing the story of Mendoza's bad luck, and many of them have ties to government officials And there's your friend, Diego..."

"Ernesto?" Diego asked. "Yes, he's coming. It only means a short delay as he returns to Monterey to report directly to the governor."

De Soto froze as he considered the de la Vegas' words. "Well, I suppose if you insist on doing the work... I believe that would leave about... 500 pesos?"

Don Alejandro scoffed. "Out of five thousand pesos. Preposterous, alcalde."

"Yes, from what I've seen and heard," Diego said. "I'd think that 1000 pesos would be far more reasonable. One-fifth as opposed to one-tenth of the sum. It sounds less like..."

"Defrauding," Cecilio said in an innocent tone of voice.

De Soto glared at the three of them, but was clearly calculating. "Fine. One thousand pesos." He turned to walk back to the burned out building.

Diego said, "I'm sorry, Sergeant. I know how much you wanted your dream house."

"But thanks to you, Don Alejandro, and Don Cecilio I still have 1000 pesos," Mendoza said. "You know, sometimes it's better to have our dreams than to have our dreams come true. As a matter of fact, I have something better. Something money can't buy. I have a friend." He held up the burned hat. "And such a friend is worth much more than gold."

"You have a great many friends, Sergeant," Cecilio said, smiling broadly. "It would seem you are very rich indeed."

Mendoza beamed at the gentlemen standing around him. "Gracias. Gracias to all of you. I don't know what I would have done without all of you."

"Well, Sergeant," Diego said warmly, "we certainly couldn't do without you."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day was Sunday and the occasion of the first reading of the banns. Diego felt a strange sense of relief when they were done and no protests of any kind made, as he had been troubled by nightmares of something going wrong. He also spoke briefly with Mendoza to tell him that there would be a group coming to help with the clean up on Monday morning. Mendoza thanked him and said he was grateful for the help. Diego asked him if he had plans for rebuilding, but Mendoza shook his head and said he'd rather wait and save the funds he had left. Diego couldn't really blame him for that. He'd been burned rather badly on the deal, literally as well as figuratively.

The next couple of days were filled with activity. His cousin Sebastian and his family were due to arrive on Tuesday; they had already received word that they had arrived at Doña Catalina's home the previous week, spending a few days with Sebastian's father before finishing the journey north.

De Soto was in a foul but relatively quiet mood and stayed mostly in the alcalde's office, sparing the citizens from his presence. However, the lancers, and Mendoza particularly, were the ones to have to bear the brunt of his anger, as apparently he had finally registered just how many _influential_ outsiders were descending on Los Angeles, and since he couldn't do anything more to expand the pueblo's coffers at the moment, he had decided it was once again time to try to improve his men's performance of their duties, and now they were spending most of their day either drilling or on patrol. Diego wondered how long that would last before he reverted to his previous behavior. He couldn't help but hope that there would be another reason for De Soto to leave town for a while, as frankly he didn't want the man anywhere near his wedding. However, he didn't intend to let that overshadow his own happiness at the nearness of his wedding day.

Tuesday arrived and Diego and Felipe had gone to the tavern after Diego had finished approving the articles and layout for the newspaper which was due to be published the next day. Since he expected that his cousins would first stop there for directions before finishing the trip to the Segovia hacienda, there seemed little point in returning to the hacienda, even though he couldn't be sure when they would be arriving, considering the logistical difficulties of traveling with two small children. While he was waiting he spent some time in Victoria's garden doing some minor repairs to the planter he'd built for her which was showing some signs of sticking. Victoria came out to bring him something to drink.

"Any sign yet?" he asked, as he made one last adjustment in his repairs.

"Not yet," Victoria replied. "How bad is that?"

"Not bad," Diego said, as he rose from the ground dusting off his trousers. "I just finished, and it should be turning smoothly again." He gave a couple of experimental turns of the crank, and the wheel spun easily.

"Gracias, Diego," Victoria said handing him the glass, receiving a kiss in exchange. "It actually has been very handy."

He looked at it in satisfaction. "I'm not sure that I expected it to work." He took a long sip of lemonade.

"I don't see why not," Victoria replied. "You are very ingenious."

At that moment, Felipe appeared in the garden.

"They're here?" Diego asked.

Felipe nodded his head. Diego and Victoria headed back through the tavern, Diego placing his now empty glass on a table as he passed through. They made it outside in time to see a carriage pull to a stop in front. Diego could see the children waving from their parents' laps. His cousin Sebastian shifted his son to the seat before moving to the door. "I'll just be a moment, niño. Stay with your mama." He quickly got out, closing the door behind him, before turning around.

"Ah, Diego," he said, leaning against the carriage door, reaching inside behind him with practiced skill to keep his son from climbing out.

Diego smiled. "It seems like my little cousins are very excited."

"Cousin Diego!" The little boy waved at him from inside.

"You could say that," Sebastian said wryly, before turning back to his son. "Isandro, what did I just say?"

The little boy looked beside him. "I _am_ with mama," he said before moving back to the seat.

"Hola, Diego," Isabel said, from her seat inside, their two year old daughter standing in her lap holding a rag doll. "The children are very eager to see you." Rosita waved a chubby hand. "Is that your lovely bride to be?" she added, indicating Victoria who was standing just to the side of him.

"Yes, it is," Diego said. "Victoria Escalante, I'm sure you remember my cousin Sebastian, and this is his wife Isabel, and the two little ones are their children, Isandro and Rosita."

The introductions were acknowledged in between Isabel and Sebastian trying to get their children to sit.

Recognizing the strain of trying to keep the children contained, Diego said, "Perhaps we should go straight to your final destination where they will have ample room to run around."

"I'd appreciate that," Sebastian said. "They slept until about an hour ago, and now they all they want to do is play. I'm almost sorry I sent the servants ahead. We could use an extra set of hands."

"Well, you'll have ours, just let me talk to the driver," Diego said.

Diego spoke with the man, making sure he knew the directions and before having a quiet word with Felipe who climbed up beside him. Sebastian opened the door and contrary to general courtesy stepped in first so that he could help his wife by picking up their son and holding him so that he couldn't climb out. Diego helped Victoria in before clambering in behind her and shutting the door. A minute later they were on their way.

Isandro soon was struggling out of his father's lap, reaching out to tug at Victoria's skirt. When he got her attention he said, "You're pretty like mama."

"Gracias, Isandro," she replied smiling.

"Do you want to see my horse?" he continued, picking up a wooden horse lying on the floor and holding it out without waiting for her to answer. It was a pretty yellow dun with a real black horse hair mane and tail cleverly attached.

"That's a very nice horse," Victoria said.

"He's the fastest horse ever," the little boy said proudly. "And he can leap mountains because of his magic shoes."

"Amazing," Victoria said.

"He loves fairy tales— well both our little ones do— but he loves making up his own as well and telling them to his sister," Isabel said, readjusting Rosita on her lap, as the little girl had cuddled in to her mother holding tight to her doll while staring at Victoria and Diego. "And Diego is always sending us new collections."

"I'm not surprised," Victoria said with a smile.

Diego shrugged. "I've always said you can learn a lot from books..."

"Or fairy tales, " Sebastian added, though with a wry look at his son, added, "though not necessarily what you wished to learn."

"Mama says you shouldn't be surprised 'cause I get it from you," Isandro said from his place on the floor.

Isabel blushed slightly as Sebastian said, "Well, for once Mama is wrong because she is the clever one."

"Mama's never wrong," Isandro said fiercely, then paused before saying, "But she is clever, so maybe only sometimes."

"Because papa is never wrong either?" Diego asked mischievously.

"Not when it comes to mama," Isandro said.

"I can see he's got all the de la Vega charm," Victoria said with a smile.

"Yes, the young ladies will have to beware," Isabel said, smiling. "Though it all too often comes paired with a habit of misspeaking or saying nothing at all."

"How well I know that," Victoria replied. "But..." she looked at Diego, "they are a handsome bunch, so that makes up for quite a lot."

Diego glanced back at her before looking at his cousin. "I think it is more that we have such excellent taste in women, wouldn't you say, Sebastian?"

"Indubitably," he replied. "We know perfection when we see it."

Victoria and Isabel exchanged knowing smiles. She casually leaned in close to Diego and whispered in his ear, "I know I do."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day, Victoria was once again claimed by the women in his family, which left him with no excuse not to go oversee the newspaper printing. His morning was punctuated with a series of issues with the press and paper so that the printing ended up being delayed as he and the typesetters wrestled with repairs. But finally it was complete and Jorge and Domingo went out to distribute it.

It was just as he was finishing cleaning off the ink and oil from his fingers when Sergeant Mendoza entered the office. He was looking troubled.

"Buenas tardes, Sergeant," Diego said. "Are we out of papers? Did you want one?"

"No," Mendoza said. "Have you heard yet about the alcalde?"

Diego shook his head. "I'm afraid I've been too busy _printing_ the news to _hear_ any news," he said.

"Oh, well, there was a dispatch rider this morning with an invitation for him," Mendoza said. "It was from the alcalde of San Diego, who said it was in thanks for his good work in capturing the murderer of the previous alcalde..."

"That was mostly down to Victoria and the deputy," Diego muttered, since while De Soto had arrested the murderer, it had been for an unrelated crime, and he'd been convinced it had been the alcalde's own son who had been guilty. But then he knew he didn't have much room to talk as Zorro had rescued that very guilty lady only to discover how unbalanced she really was.

Mendoza shrugged. "That's how it goes," he said. "But then the alcalde of San Diego says that he's to be guest of honor at a tribunal on political corruption being held there."

"Tribunal... on political corruption," Diego said, raising a curious brow. "That sounds... familiar."

"I know," Mendoza said. "But I can't remember why."

"Wasn't that the thing that Luis Ramone's twin made up to get his brother out of town?" Diego said after a moment's thought.

"Sí," Mendoza replied, then his eyes turned wide in horror. "Madre de dios. You don't think this alcalde has a worse twin too, do you?"

Diego smiled and shook his head. "I haven't met any of his family, but I recall hearing he had several older brothers (all farmers) and a little sister, but definitely no twin."

Mendoza looked relieved. "I guess it's just a coincidence then," he said.

"I suppose so," Diego said slowly. He wished he'd had some time to ask Sebastian about the news from San Diego. They never really talked too much about politics (too many other topics to cover). He didn't even know who was currently in charge. "Sergeant, can you tell me who issued the invitation?"

"Oh, sure," Mendoza said, then frowned. "It was Alcalde... Ma...Me... Moraga. Lucio Moraga. That's it." He paused. "Hey, isn't that also the family name of your friend? The government man who visited in December?"

"It is," Diego said, feeling suddenly enlightened and wondering why Ernesto had not mentioned Lucio's new position in his last letter to him. "In fact the new alcalde happens to be his elder brother. So, when does _our_ alcalde leave on this little enterprise?"

"Friday," Mendoza said. "He'll have an escort and everything, so he can get there in time... and he's not expected back until the middle of June."

Diego couldn't resist a grin though he tried to suppress it. "So he'll miss the wedding. What a pity."

"Yeah, too bad," Mendoza said, with an almost credible attempt at sincerity. "He's going to miss a lot of good food."

"And games," Diego added. "And dancing."

"True, true," Mendoza said, though clearly the food was more on his mind.

"I suppose I should go and speak to the alcalde before he gets too wound up in his packing to give an interview," Diego said, wanting to get a little clarification and check the alcalde's mood. "Unless, of course, this is a secret."

"Oh, it's no secret," Mendoza said. "Almost everyone knows about it by now."

"Except the intrepid newspaper editor," Diego said a little ruefully.

"Well, you have been a bit busy, Don Diego," Mendoza said.

"And I don't think either of us is going to get any less busy any time soon," Diego said.

"No," Mendoza said. "At least for the next couple of weeks. Then at least you'll be busy with something more pleasant while I'll still be buried in alcalde work."

Diego raised a brow, not sure how to respond to Mendoza's words, true though they might be. "Hopefully things will return to relative quiet once my... relatives return to their homes."

"I don't know," Mendoza said. "Somehow it seems a bit more peaceful with all these visitors around."

"That's because _you_ aren't having to deal with them on a daily basis," Diego said with a grin. "But I'd better head over to see our illustrious alcalde. It would not do to ignore this particular honor, would it?"

Mendoza shook his head, and after a moment the two of them left the office, Mendoza towards the tavern and Diego towards the alcalde's office where he found De Soto at his desk going through a pile of papers, a somewhat agitated expression on his face. When Diego cleared his throat he looked up, his expression changing to irritation.

"What can I do for you, de la Vega?" he asked.

Diego worked to find the right words for his information fishing expedition. "I heard that you are being honored by the city of San Diego, and that you would be leaving quite soon, so I thought I'd interview you for next week's paper as soon as possible."

"Oh, yes, of course," De Soto said, looking unaccountably flustered. Diego wondered if he were somehow worried about the other aspect of the trip. "It's rather inconvenient at this time. So many visitors to the pueblo. And there's Zorro; I wouldn't put it past him to cause another disruption."

"Another?" Diego asked. He hardly thought that Zorro's last appearance really qualified as a disruption, but then again he did knock down the door, didn't he?

"The man is nothing but trouble. I'm leaving orders for the lancers to be on guard, especially at your wedding. It doesn't do to be lax."

"Well, considering that Sgt. Mendoza is my best man, I imagine they would have been there any way. And unless you think Zorro is rather like the bad fairy of a fairy tale and is going to take offense at not being invited, I very much doubt he would bother to show up and cause trouble."

"You have a very short memory, Don Diego," De Soto said. "Did that bandit not pursue Señorita Escalante for some time before your engagement?"

"Perhaps," Diego said, shrugging. "But it's been a year, and he certainly has not been acting the scorned suitor during that time."

"Yes," De Soto smirked, "and acting may be exactly what he's doing. Not that I would expect you to discern the difference. Though," he quickly added with his best attempt at a sincere smile, "how could anybody? You have been far too far preoccupied with plans for your nuptials."

"Well, I am certain that with so many of your men at the ceremony, if he was at all tempted to make trouble, he would resist it," Diego said, managing through long practice to _not_ roll his eyes at De Soto's ridiculousness. "Now, I'd like to hear more about the purpose of your trip, if you will."

De Soto shook his head, as if at Diego's naivete, but said, "There's not much to say. The alcalde has extended the invitation in thanks for my help in apprehending the murderer of their previous alcalde, and to join in with other important men in discussing the issues of political corruption." His eyes betrayed his anxiety at that last bit.

"Well, I am sure there is no one more qualified to speak on the topic," Diego said evenly, allowing De Soto to take it either way he chose.

"Yes, well..." De Soto said, his eyes narrowing. "That's all there is to it, and now if you will excuse me, I have a lot of preparations to make and not much time to make them."

"Of course," Diego said, "I would not want to delay you. Have a good trip, Ignacio."

"Gracias," De Soto said shortly.

Diego left the office and crossed the plaza to the tavern. Despite not getting any truly detailed information, he had a strong suspicion that De Soto's invitation was instigated by his friend Ernesto, mainly because of that extra touch about political corruption, as during his visit to Los Angeles, they had discussed the previous alcalde including the difficulty with Ramone's even more unscrupulous twin and the excuse he had used to get him out of town. Not that he doubted that De Soto would actually be attending a genuine meeting or be thanked for his part in delivering Señora Sinestra to San Diego. Ernesto was nothing if not thorough, and he and his family were both very interested in putting a stop to political corruption. That they would also be in a position to make De Soto squirm would be an additional incentive. Of course, Ernesto would not have known about De Soto's latest little peccadillo, but he would have expected him to be up to something. In any event, Diego realized this was all speculation. He would only be able to find out for certain if Ernesto managed to make it for the wedding.

Diego entered the tavern with a sigh, wondering when he'd be able to reclaim Victoria from his relatives. Perhaps siesta time. He knew that tomorrow would be out as his father was claiming all the men for help in the outdoor preparations for the wedding fiesta, as he had long determined that this would be the biggest celebration that the pueblo had ever seen. More than ever, Diego wished he could have convinced Victoria to elope before bowing to the truth that this was truly the best way for them to marry without suspicion of either anything untoward or that he was Zorro. He just hated all the preparation and show involved.

_Thirteen days left_ , he reminded himself. _If I were superstitious, I'd be worried about the timing._ He smiled. _Then again, with De Soto leaving, it would seem my luck is turning up._

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I've wound up the "Balancing the Books" part of the plotline already. I just didn't see it running all the way up the wedding, and for my purposes it's become more of the B-plot than the A-plot for this story. From now on, it's all about the upcoming wedding, or rather a good deal about the guests and some of the related entertainments surrounding the wedding. 
> 
> I do hate that I used so much dialogue from the episode even if it's been tweaked a bit in places, but it was the simplest way to handle things. I think the two biggest changes were Mendoza's attitude toward Diego's advice (and consequent reasons for accepting De Soto's), and, of course, Diego pressing for De Soto to return at least a portion of Mendoza's funds. De Soto was such a pill in that episode; I hated that he got away with everything in the end, so here he faces some consequences for his behavior even if it is not nearly what he deserves.
> 
> In line with that, I really didn't want De Soto in town for the wedding, hovering like a specter at the feast, but he couldn't not be invited if he was in town, and I don't see him willingly absenting himself especially if he had any idea, however unlikely, that Zorro might show up. So I had Ernesto step in with his own sort of wedding gift to Diego. After all, he can't really stand De Soto either. And I couldn't resist using the same excuse Vicente Ramone used to decoy his twin out of town since it was as equally as much a pointed jab at De Soto as Ramone. 
> 
> I also realized that as I was writing I had quite a few characters coming from San Diego and probably could have streamlined some of their arrivals if they came together. However, considering how many characters I've had to juggle in this story, their arrivals were based more on story need than actual traveling expediency. It also helped that they didn't really all know each other, so it's believable they wouldn't be traveling together. 
> 
> Also, the scene with Sebastian and Isabel was another scene that I had to go back and start over. Originally the children were asleep when they arrived, but that turned out to be rather dull, and I hated writing just another introduction scene, so I decided it would be more interesting with overly energized children, and I rather liked Isandro's enthusiasm.


	31. Turning the Page (Balancing the Books) Part 3

The next day was indeed a busy one as the male family members were drafted to help with the outdoors preparations, and the women were busy with other aspects of the fiesta. The only good thing that Diego could see was that it was proof that the wedding was getting very close, and he was grateful that nothing requiring Zorro's intervention seemed imminent. He was more than ever aware of the difficulty of getting alone for any period of time, but he made the effort if only to keep his reputation up, though he preferred to concentrate on the greater challenge of getting some time alone _with_ Victoria, who seemed to have one or another lady of his family permanently by her side. If it wasn't one of his aunts, it was one of his cousins, and they all seemed to think his frustration amusing. Great Aunt Catalina was the worst with her "I told you so." And Victoria, while exhibiting a little frustration, seemed just as inclined to see the humorous side as the rest of the family, so even her sympathy was lacking.

The day after was Friday and provided the twin distractions of De Soto leaving for San Diego in the morning and Rafael and Margarita arriving in the afternoon. Diego made it a point to be in the pueblo early enough to watch De Soto leave, as he wanted to make sure he did indeed depart, not that he seriously suspected that he might not. The summons was exactly the kind he would not refuse, and Diego was hoping that Ernesto would arrive soon to confirm whether or not he had a hand in this very convenient departure. At least that what he told himself was the reason for his trip to the pueblo, though underneath he knew it was simply to resist the urge for Zorro to follow De Soto out of town. He knew that would be quite a large mistake, but still the urge was there, so instead he made himself go to town and see De Soto off as himself.

It actually turned out to be an interesting spectacle, as De Soto made a great show of his departure, especially since there was a reasonably large crowd for a Friday. Diego wondered whether they were there because they wanted to see De Soto leave town or if they'd been encouraged to be there by lancers so that De Soto would have what he would feel would be a properly celebrated departure. Unfortunately, Diego had been too much at the periphery of the town gossip for some time to know for certain, especially since Mendoza seemed to think that one of his duties as best man was to keep Diego from being bothered by too many non-wedding details, and he had always been the best source of gossip.

Of course, in this case, why the people were there was of little matter, as long as De Soto's departure went smoothly. Diego made a point of approaching him as he exited the alcalde's office.

"De la Vega," De Soto said with a mild note of surprise, "I hardly expected to see you here this morning."

"As editor of the paper, I could hardly neglect to see your departure. After all, we've never had an alcalde so honored," Diego said, keeping his tone mild with a hint of enthusiasm. "I trust you aren't planning to leave without a few words to the people." He knew no one cared about anything other than De Soto leaving, but for once, he wanted to encourage De Soto's general self-importance, so that he would be looking forward more to his destination than thinking too much of the place he had left. He wasn't concerned at the moment about the people's reaction. His departure should certainly be enough to make the crowd react appropriately.

De Soto made a brief show of demurral, but it was clear to Diego that all he needed was the slightest encouragement. Diego suspected that if it had not been him then Mendoza would have done the job, with De Soto strongly hinting that he should. It took but a moment for De Soto to make his way to the fountain in the center of the plaza.

"People of Los Angeles," he announced, "as you know, I go to San Diego at the behest of the new alcalde, who wishes to honor m... us for our swift capture of the murderer of their former alcalde. It is my duty and honor to be a recipient of that thanks, and while I dislike leaving my duty for this period, I leave you in the... competent care..." Diego could tell De Soto was tripping over his tongue in his disbelief over this. "... of Sgt. Mendoza and the lancers. My thoughts will be with you and the pueblo, and I have every intention of returning as soon as duty allows."

The crowd managed a reasonable level of enthusiasm for this speech, and with a sweeping gesture of farewell, De Soto climbed into the carriage that would be carrying him south. Diego stood and watched until it was out of sight and hoping for the best headed over to the newspaper office to write a few notes before returning to the hacienda to prepare for his cousins' arrival.

~Z~Z~Z~

For Victoria the day seemed to crawl along as she and Diego waited for Rafael and Margarita to arrive. Of course, Victoria was not particularly looking forward to their arrival as she still felt embarrassed by the fight she and Margarita had gotten into over Zorro, and while Diego said he was looking forward to seeing his cousin, he gave the impression that he did not particularly care for Margarita, despite her apparently getting over her infatuation with Zorro. When she asked how Margarita was after his last trip to see Rafael just over a year ago, he had told her that she was much the same. He in fact had had more to say about his cousin's son Zacharias who was just turned one at the time than he had to say about her.

Victoria stood next to one of the bookshelves with Diego and made a show of looking over the titles. "Do I really need to be here to greet them, Diego?" she asked. "I could just as easily meet them at dinner over at the Segovia Hacienda with the rest of the family."

She noticed Diego smiling a little, probably because he knew full well why she wasn't any more eager to see Margarita than he was. She had not been very proud of her behavior when the two met. Despite the fact that she felt that Margarita started it all with her delusional notion that she would be marrying Zorro and her insults to her, she still was embarrassed that she had started a food fight with the girl. After all, at that time she had little more claim to Zorro beyond his first somewhat ambiguous promise and mild flirtations. If she remembered correctly, he was still pretty skittish around her, which probably explained her desire to lay claim to him, especially as Diego was still overcompensating in his displays of weakness and confusing her by following compassion with apparent inaction. Nonetheless, her childish reactions were something she would rather forget.

Her reflections were broken into by Diego's voice. "I actually thought it might be easier if you two met here while we're mostly alone rather than in a crowd of others. That way you can get any awkwardness out of the way without everyone else seeing it."

Victoria sighed. "You're right, of course," she said. "If anything embarrassing happens I'd rather not have the rest of your family seeing it. I'd prefer them to think I have _some_ dignity."

Diego leaned over to kiss her temple. "You have a great deal of dignity," he said. "Also, you know that Margarita has to be feeling as embarrassed if not even more so about her behavior then as you, so I very much doubt she will bring it up. And besides, I know enough embarrassing stories about my family to make your little fight seem inconsequential."

"Care to share them now, then?" she said.

"No, I'll wait to see if anyone asks to be embarrassed first," Diego said.

"I suppose that's fair," Victoria said, though she was curious to hear some of the family stories. "However, I will be glad when we leave for dinner with your Aunt Catalina, and there will be more people to talk to."

Diego suddenly raised an eyebrow and turned his head toward the nearby window. He went to look outside and just as he had thought he had heard, a carriage was approaching the hacienda. "Well, there are going to be some people to talk to right now."

Victoria crossed the room to join him and, as she had been dreading, it was Rafael and Margarita.

Don Alejandro was the first out the door while Diego and Victoria took their time following him. Victoria worked on schooling herself for whatever the meeting would bring, reminding herself of Diego's words. Surely, Margarita would wish to forget as much as herself.

They reached Don Alejandro just as he finished greeting his nephew and niece. They looked relatively unchanged. Rafael was perhaps a little thinner, and Margarita a little plumper, not unnatural considering she'd had a child. Victoria was trying not to let her former dislike cloud her judgment, difficult though it was. To all appearances, Margarita appeared cheerful and enthusiastic in her manner, no sign of incipient embarrassment.

Diego immediately greeted his cousins before introducing Victoria. "I don't know if you remember meeting," he said, casually as if there was no particular reason why they should.

"Of course, I remember, Señorita Escalante," Rafael said politely. "It is a pleasure to see you again and welcome you to the family."

"Oh, yes, indeed," Margarita said with enthusiasm and an insistent hug which Victoria returned tentatively before she could manage to step back. "How could I forget the woman who has managed to capture the heart of our cousin? I'm sure I should have suspected something at the time, though you were so careful as to pretend to be interested in someone else." She giggled. "Like me really. We have so much in common."

Victoria found herself speechless. Not only no embarrassment, but she seemed to have rewritten their previous encounter entirely. And frankly, the thought of having things in common with her made Victoria cringe internally.

"Yes, well," Don Alejandro managed to say once the silence started stretching a little too long. "I imagine the two of you would like to see your room and freshen up before it's time for us to leave for dinner."

"Thank you, uncle," Rafael said. "I think that's a good idea." He and Margarita followed Don Alejandro toward the house with her giving a little wave to Diego and Victoria as she passed.

As they walked to the house, Victoria turned to Diego. "Did I hear what I thought I heard?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so," Diego said.

"I mean I remember their visit with absolute clarity, much as I wish I didn't, and that bears no resemblance to anything that occurred," Victoria said.

"I believe that Margarita has mastered the art of forgetting that which is inconvenient and substituting a new version which suits her better," Diego said. "On the positive side, that means she will have conveniently forgotten that you two fought."

"I suppose so," Victoria said, still troubled. "Thank goodness, we're going to dinner soon."

Diego put an arm around her. "Thank goodness indeed," he said reassuringly. "Safety in numbers, I hope."

~Z~Z~Z~

In deference to Doña Catalina's age, the family dinner that night was held at the Segovia hacienda. However, after seeing Doña Catalina's general reaction to Margarita, Victoria began to suspect that it was more that it would seem less disruptive or odd for Margarita and Rafael to leave early since they had been the ones traveling during the day.

Doña Catalina was sitting in the sala when they arrived, hands resting on her cane. Teo and Lucretia were sitting next to her, while Don Cecilio and Doña Magdalena were on the other side of the room. Rafael and Margarita followed Victoria, Diego, and Don Alejandro into the house.

Once she greeted the latter, she looked at the former. "Well, come close, Rafael," she said. "My old eyes aren't what they were."

"I am sure they are as sharp as ever, Aunt," Rafael said, kissing her hand.

"Oh calling her sharp makes her sound like she has edges," Margarita said, airily coming up to greet Doña Catalina. Victoria wondered if she'd managed to hone her cattiness to the point it sounded like an innocent comment or if she really didn't mean more than what she said.

"And that's something no one would accuse you of," Doña Catalina said in a deceptively mild tone, though everyone but Margarita seemed to get the meaning of her words, and again Victoria wondered about the woman. Had she lost what wit she had in the past couple of years? Then addressing Rafael, Doña Catalina asked, "How was your journey, my boy?"

"Unremarkable," he said.

"Everything was so much the same; it was like no time had passed at all," Margarita said with a giggle.

"If only," Rafael muttered, so softly that Victoria wasn't sure she heard it.

"And how is your son?" Doña Catalina asked Rafael.

"Well. He's enjoying his time with his grandmother right now," Rafael said.

"He does love his grandmother," Margarita said. "She spoils him terribly, but that does make things so much easier for us."

As she noticed Rafael's barely concealed grimace, Victoria had to refrain from rolling her eyes as in her experience spoiled children made nothing easier for anyone except themselves, but then Margarita seemed another example of a spoiled child turned woman.

At that moment, Sebastian and Isabel entered the room. "Sorry we're late," Sebastian said. "The children were having a hard time settling down."

While she didn't doubt that was part of the reason, Victoria couldn't help but notice Isabel's barely concealed smile and a brightness in her eyes, that made her think that there was another reason for their delay. She repressed a sigh as she considered how very much she'd like it to be her and Diego finding excuses for being late, especially to any social event that meant she had to spend time with Margarita, whom she was finding even more of an oddity than she did the first time they met.

In any event, in such a large family gathering, Victoria found it easy enough to separate herself from Margarita without it being particularly noticeable. Happily the seating arrangements at dinner kept them far apart, since for reasons she could not fathom, Margarita and Rafael were seated at one end of the table on either side of Doña Catalina, while she and Diego were at the other end of the table next to Don Alejandro.

Dinner passed smoothly enough, though Victoria could see that Doña Catalina spoke mostly with Rafael and ignored Margarita, who didn't seem to notice as she was mostly laughing with Teo. But for the most part Victoria spent more time involved in the conversation on her end of the table between Alejandro and Sebastian and Diego and Isabel.

When the evening ended and they returned to the de la Vega hacienda, it was a simple matter to tune out Margarita's chatter as she really didn't seem to require any response unless it was from Rafael, and he answered with an abstracted air. Soon enough the two of them excused themselves, claiming fatigue, and Alejandro, Cecilio and Magdalena soon followed. Happy to be alone with Diego for a little while at least, she suggested that they slip out into the garden.

The evening was pleasantly warm, and the smell of roses was in the air. Victoria leaned against Diego as they looked up at the stars.

"Eleven days until we're married," she said.

"Eleven days until we can excuse ourselves early and not have to go into the garden for some time alone," Diego said.

"And eleven days of being kept especially busy so that we can hardly have time together," Victoria said.

"If I didn't see how much needed to be done, I'd think it was a deliberate conspiracy to keep us from misbehaving," Diego said. "But then if it were, they wouldn't have left us alone this evening."

"We've managed... well enough," Victoria said, remembering all those times when kisses almost became too much.

Diego took one hand in his while wrapping his arm around her waist. "I am so tired of managing," he said.

She twisted around in his arms. "You're not alone in that," she whispered before pulling him down to kiss her.

It was several exhilarating and frustrating minutes later when Diego drew back and wrapped Victoria in a comforting embrace. "Eleven more days," he murmured.

Victoria said nothing but simply hugged him back. It was then they heard a window opening and Margarita's voice speaking clearly.

"It's too stuffy to keep the windows closed, and the night is too beautiful," she said.

Diego and Victoria froze as they realized they might be heard, though as the window didn't look out into the garden, they wouldn't be seen. While Victoria knew they should just go inside, she liked being in Diego's arms too much to be willing to leave them just yet.

"No bandit is going to be climbing in that window." Rafael's voice sounded bored.

"You just want to suffocate. Night air is good, and I like looking at the stars. They are like a million wishes just for me."

There was a long pause. "You and your wishes. Did you ever wish for your body to fly away to whatever place your mind so often goes?"

"Oh, Rafael. You know that's silly. I'm already where my mind is at."

"Well, then let mine get some sleep."

At that point, Diego took Victoria's hand and led them back into the house. Once inside they just looked at each other for a moment.

Victoria sighed. "Well, that was awkward."

"Yes, very," Diego said. "But it could have been worse."

"I suppose," Victoria said. "I mean a bandit could have climbed through their window, and then we'd need to rescue them."

"Well there's no fear that Zorro would," Diego said with a mild shudder. "Not after all he did to help them resolve their differences."

"What _did_ Zorro do?" Victoria asked, curious. She had just been so glad to see the back of Margarita and her fiancé that she hadn't bothered wondering what, if anything, happened after Zorro chased off the lancers who had gone after them to collect Luis Ramone's infamous traveler's tax. Mendoza's story of the fight had been so filled with exaggerations anyway that it didn't seem worth the bother.

Diego looked around then with a slight shrug said, "According to Rafael when he told me the story, after having been disarmed by Zorro after they'd fought out of sight of Margarita, he told him that 'To fight is easy. To create faith where there is none, that is a challenge.' And then he deliberately lost a fight in front of Margarita so Rafael would impress her with his own heroics."

Victoria managed not to shake her head in disbelief. "Um, I suppose it worked then. Though it really seems somewhat..."

"Pathetic? Sad?" Diego said. "In hindsight, I wonder if Zorro or I did the right thing in trying to fix things."

"You're not responsible for other people's choices or the consequences therein, and maybe whatever that relationship is, it works for them," Victoria said. "At least I hope so." She looked at him. "Just promise me that we'll never be like them. I'd rather use your aunt and uncle or your other cousins as an example."

Diego kissed her temple. "I think I can safely promise that we will always be ourselves, and we will be very happy in our own way."

"But which selves will we be?" Victoria asked, as the thought occurred to her. "We spend a lot of time acting for others."

With a wry smile acknowledging the truth of her statement, Diego said, "When we are alone, we have no one to impress or distract. That's where it's important to be ourselves. I think we can face anything if we can manage honesty then, no matter what the world may see or say."

"I think I can promise that," Victoria said, pulling him close for another kiss. "And I can't wait to get started."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next days were something of a blur. All of the final preparations were being made, and the banns were read for the second time. Victoria had the final fitting on her wedding gown, while Lucretia and Isabel were kind enough to distract Margarita from trying to become her dearest, best friend. Everything was working very smoothly; the only cloud on the horizon was the lack of word or the arrival of Francisco, as he was supposed to arrive sometime between the end of the previous week or the beginning of this, but it was Thursday, and there had been no word, except from Diego that his friend Ernesto had arrived at the tavern where he and his _mozo_ Mateo would be staying until after the wedding. There had been no other news of note, but they barely had time to slow down much less make enquiries, especially considering the next evening would be the separate gatherings for the ladies and gentlemen.

Knowing how little time they would have, Diego and Victoria woke early on Friday morning and met in the library before anyone else was up. She was carrying a wrapped package when she sat next to him. "I have something for you," she said. "I was hoping to finish it sooner, but I haven't had much experience with it, and your aunt helped me when you were out and about, since I didn't want you to see it before it was complete..." She trailed off and proffered the package which he took from her.

Unwrapping it, he found a white shirt, embroidered down the front with fine white thread. It was his wedding shirt.

"I know your suit has gold braiding," she said as he sat there tracing his hand over the vine design, "but I thought that you would prefer something that didn't stand out so much..."

He dropped the shirt in his lap and reached out to grasp her face and kiss her deeply. "It's perfect," he said. "I love it." He gave her another kiss before adding, "Actually I have something for you, just wait here." He stood up and folding the shirt carefully over his arm, swiftly left the room.

He returned quickly carrying a small ornately carved box. "I know this isn't really a surprise, but it actually took longer than I thought to get everything exactly right. Even now I'm not sure about it." He stopped talking and held out the box to her.

Opening it, she saw two smaller flat rectangular hinged cases, carved like the box. Lifting out the first she opened it to see the miniatures of her and Diego that she had asked him for. They were better than she'd expected. She opened the second and was surprised to see matching portraits of her parents done very much in the style of the miniatures Diego had of his own parents which he had shown her before he began the project.

"I thought it was only fair that you have a proper set of your own to remember them by. Though it is really only because of my mother that I was able to complete them as she had several drawings that I used for models."

Setting the box carefully aside, Victoria then threw herself into Diego's arms kissing him enthusiastically. "I love you so much, and it's so perfect," she said.

"And so are you," Diego said returning her embrace. After a long moment, he added, "Any chance of us running away and avoiding the parties we're supposed to be attending tonight?"

"Not a chance," Victoria said. "Your father would round up a posse and hunt us down."

Diego sighed. "You're right. Especially after all the trouble he has gone to and all the wine he's sent to your tavern."

"I just hope some of you manage to keep your head during the evening," Victoria said.

"Oh, don't worry, between me and Sebastian and Felipe, there will be three defenders of sobriety," Diego said. "Sebastian has always despised immoderation in drinking, in addition to his desire not to face his wife with a hangover. And trust me, we're both quite at skilled at diverting the attention of those determined to get us drunk."

"Well, I'm pleased to hear that," Victoria said. "However, I also have a special cask that Señor Calvillo has set aside for the nondrinkers. He'll help you, or he'll have to answer to me."

"And I'm sure he has absolutely no desire to face your wrath," Diego said.

"I would certainly hope so," she said. "And I hope I don't have as much to dread in the ladies' party this evening."

"With an obvious exception I think you'll be spending time with a better behaved bunch than I will," he said.

Victoria didn't reply because while she was sure of Doñas Magdalena and Isabel, she had a feeling that Doña Catalina had quite a large mischievous streak and a dislike of Margarita, so who knew what she had planned? But there was no point in worrying right now, and she knew she could handle herself well, and at least she wasn't concerned with too much alcohol flowing. As it was she was taking comfort in the time she could find with Diego.

Unfortunately it was not long, as soon the rest of the household was up, and Diego and Victoria found themselves being pulled in opposite directions despite their wishes. And even when they could manage to be together they were never alone. When Victoria and Diego went into the pueblo so that Victoria could personally see that the preparations for the evening's party were well in hand, Don Alejandro insisted on accompanying them so that he could be sure that everything he had sent was in order. As they rode along, Diego got the distinct impression that his father was getting a great deal of pleasure in preventing them getting any further time alone that day. He was truly starting to dread what he could expect from this evening's party, and he more than suspected that Victoria would be having the more pleasant time with the exception of the presence of Margarita.

All the preparations were in order, and it was made clear that the tavern would be closing early for a private party. Diego was just pleased that his father was limiting the invites, only family, Sgt. Mendoza, and his friend Ernesto. It gave him some hope that whatever happened could be somewhat controlled and confined.

Still, he couldn't help thinking about some of his family. _Controlled and confined_ , he told himself, _controlled and confined._ Diego sighed. _But compared to what?_

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it may be a bit obvious that I never really warmed up to Rafael and Margarita from "The Best Man." I mean it seems as if she deliberately came to Los Angeles with the intention of going after Zorro and actually breaks off her engagement after seeing him once, during which encounter he paid absolutely no attention to her whatsoever. The girl came off as completely delusional; at least Victoria had a bit more reason to lay claim to Zorro's attention, even if the cat fight seemed singularly immature. And the whole rigamarole with Rafael blaming Zorro for toying with her, when again, no attention had been paid at all, showed he had some growing up to do as well. And despite the rapprochement achieved by Rafael's faked defeat of Zorro, I just don't believe that much has changed, so while one way to go would be them truly learning a lesson and mutually maturing, I decided to go the other where she's just as much the immature romantic and he's gotten a bit cynical (a change from my general depiction of happy romantic couples here, but then even I can't believe in everyone living in perfect harmony). Though I do believe in some ways I've actually been a little kinder to her as I've pretty much muzzled her catty witchiness from the episode ("peasant girls," "avoid those well-worn lips") and turned her into an oblivious air head instead. Maybe it's more that I'd rather have the other characters put up with obliviousness than cattiness, not that the other ladies, especially Doña Catalina wouldn't be able to more than handle it. 
> 
> As for the gifts, I believe it was traditional for the bride to embroider her groom's shirt, though I'm not really sure how the presentation normally went. I also figured that Victoria's sewing skills, if any, would be more practical than decorative, so I had her make it simple. And as for Diego's gift, I know he's already painted a tavern scene with her family, but I thought she'd also appreciate them captured in miniature, a more easily transportable gift.


	32. Turning the Page (Balancing the Books) Part 4

In the early evening there was quite a lot of chaos as the family started at the de la Vega hacienda before the men separated to go into the pueblo. As they were getting ready, Diego drew Victoria over to the side.

"I wish I was staying here," he said. "Do you really suppose they'd miss me if I sneaked away?"

"Diego, for the last time, considering you're the guest of honor, I think it highly likely," Victoria said. "Besides, I'm not sure you'd enjoy what we'll be doing, and..." She looked him up and down with a wicked grin. "I'm afraid you are far too tall and masculine to be taken for a lady. Much to my relief."

"And my own," he said, pulling her close. "You make me very glad to be a man." He leaned down to kiss her.

"Now, no more of that," Teo called out. "It's time to go. Wine awaits."

Diego rolled his eyes as he straightened up. "And he wonders why he's still unattached," Diego muttered. He kissed Victoria's hand. "I will miss you."

"And I you," Victoria said. "Also, don't let them destroy my tavern."

Diego bowed. "I will do my best." He looked over to where he saw Margarita standing near Rafael. His aunt Catalina had already gone inside. "And try not to let certain personality clashes cause an explosion."

Victoria raised a brow. "I think there's far better chance of your aunt Magdalena or Isabel managing that, but _I_ intend to behave."

"That's all I can ask," Diego said. "I wish I could say the same of some of my relatives." He glanced at his father and uncle who looked impatient to go. He kissed her hand again, and she waved him off.

It was not long before all the men had departed and the ladies went inside. Entering the house last with Isabel, Victoria wished that Alicia and Pilar had agreed to attend this evening, but one had sick family, and the other said she wasn't very comfortable with socializing with ladies on the level of Doña Catalina. While Victoria couldn't really blame them, she would have liked to have a little extra reinforcement, yet she knew that she could depend on the graciousness of Doña Magdalena and Isabel if things got out of hand; well, she hoped.

Once Victoria was inside the house, she found herself being dragged off to her room as the ladies all wanted to look at her trousseau but most especially her wedding gown, which she felt was the loveliest dress she'd ever owned. It was a rich deep blue trimmed with gold and white which matched her mother's mantilla. Nearly all the ladies complimented it. However, Margarita had to express a different opinion.

"But why is it not black?" she asked in apparent confusion. "After all, it's traditional... and the most _romantic_ color." She practically swooned as she spoke, and Victoria turned her head so she could roll her eyes unseen by anyone else.

"I don't know about how romantic it is that it's a color that hides dirt well," Doña Catalina said flatly with the air of one who was determined to disagree with Margarita on principle.

"Well, that's beside the point," Margarita said. "It's so dashing and dark, who could help loving it."

Victoria knew she wasn't the only one looking askance at her at that last bit, which she realized full well was not referring to the color but a certain man who liked wearing it. And she'd thought the woman had gotten past her crush on Zorro.

"I don't particularly like wearing black," Victoria said after a moment pulling herself together. "And Diego and I both liked the blue."

"Naturally, it's lovely on you," Doña Magdalena said. "I think it's my favorite of your dresses."

"It is very lovely," Isabel chimed in. "You are going to be quite a beautiful bride."

"Thank you," Victoria said.

While it seemed to take forever, it wasn't that much longer before the viewing of the trousseau was finished, and they all adjourned to the dining room, where this time Margarita was seated at the opposite end from Doña Catalina and Victoria.

~Z~Z~Z~

"Are you _sure_ I can't help you with those?" Diego asked, watching Señor Calvillo moved the empty casks from the bar and replace them with full ones.

Calvillo smiled. "For the third time, gracias, but no. I am doing just fine with Felipe and Mateo here to help," he said as he motioned to the two men who appeared from the back room behind the bar and began to take away the used containers. They were an odd contrast, and Diego envied Felipe his ability to stay out of the fray by choosing to help out, as well as his youth which protected him from being offered too much wine.

"Well, if you're certain…"

"I am. Besides, you should be getting back to the celebration. After all, this night is all about you."

Diego cast an eye at the boisterous company just in time to see them bring their glasses together again in a toast and quickly drain them. "And about my father paying for the drinks," he mumbled.

"What was that, Diego?"

"Nothing," he answered with faked innocence. "I better get back to the festivities." Diego slowly made his way across the room, back to where the other men were clustered round the largest table in the tavern. He was by no means unsociable, but he never was one for loud parties. His friends in Spain had tried many times to get him to go to parties that made this one look more tame than a church mass, and he had gotten a lot of practice in artfully avoiding them. Still, as pleased as he would have been to forgo this tradition, it meant so much to his father and male relatives so he determined himself to make the best of it he could.

"Diego!" Don Alejandro exclaimed as his son sidled up to the table. "You're just in time for the arm wrestling!" All the men cheered in unison. "And my son is ready to take all comers!"

"Father, I'm not…"

"…one to back down from a challenge!" Alejandro interjected and motioned for Diego to take a seat. "Who will be first?"

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Me!" Teo said enthusiastically. "I," he took a deep drink from his cup, "will be the first to take on the soon-to-be married man." Teo swayed a little bit as he pushed his way forward and took a seat across from Diego, greatly diminishing Diego's confidence that his cousin was in the right state for any physical contest.

Teo put forth his arm and Diego followed suit. The two interlocked hands and Alejandro placed his hand atop theirs. "Ready?" he asked, looking back and forth repeatedly from Diego to Teo. "GO!"

Diego tensed against Teo's push but it never came and he sent Teo's arm slamming hard into the table. He immediately let go and Teo fell back away from the table and onto the floor.

"Teo! Are you okay?" Diego asked, genuinely worried he may have hurt him.

"Si!" From where he lay, he held up his glass triumphantly. "I didn't spill a drop!" He sat up. "I win! And my prize…" he finished his drink, "more wine!"

"Indeed," Alejandro said, "Señor Calvillo! Wine for everyone!" He looked at the men around the table. "Who will be next to take on my son? What about you, Ernesto?"

"Oh no!" He held up his hands in mild protest. "A man needs to know his limitations."

"How about you, Rafael? Or maybe you, Sergeant? Oh, Diego," he pointed to Mateo who had just sat down in the corner by himself with a glass of lemonade and a book, "why don't you try Mateo?"

Diego looked wide-eyed at the man who, sitting down, was only slightly shorter than he was. "Father! Did you not hear what Ernesto just said or have you really had that much to drink?"

"I'll be the one!" Sebastian stepped up alongside Diego. He grinned broadly. "I've always wondered about how strong you really are." He moved around to the opposite side of the table and went to sit, but Alejandro stopped him.

"Wait. I have a much better idea." He sat across from his son and put his arm on the table. There was no mistaking the challenge. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Diego looked at him hesitantly, trying to make up his mind about what to do. He had no doubt he was stronger than his father, but he respected him, and as he reached out, he was very quickly weighing the pros and cons of winning and of throwing the contest. Fortunately, before he locked hands with Alejandro, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his Uncle Cecilio.

"Move aside, nephew." Cecilio eased himself down where Diego had been. "Actually," he looked across at Alejandro, " _I_ am the one who has been waiting a long time for this."

The somewhat tipsy crowd of men were now very alert and riveted on the scene of the two elder gentlemen. The party had suddenly taken on an unexpected gravitas.

"Are you sure you're really ready for this?" Alejandro asked.

Cecilio smiled and raised a single eyebrow. "Are you?"

Diego put his hand over theirs. "Gentlemen, on three," he spoke with a hushed reverence. "One…two…THREE!"

The table shuddered as the two began to strain against each other. For what seemed like a long time, they struggled, neither giving any quarter. "Getting tired… old man?" Alejandro asked through labored breaths.

"Speak for yourself," Cecilio retorted.

Sebastian leaned in close to Diego. "I never thought I'd live to see _this_ ," he whispered.

"I was afraid I would," Diego muttered.

"So," Alejandro sputtered, "how much longer do you think you can go?"

"How much longer do I need to?"

"Oh… not much. Maybe you shouldn't have spent so much time lifting books."

At that moment, Cecilio began to push Alejandro's arm off center and toward the table. "Time… better spent… than you… pushing cattle," Cecilio said between gasps, as he pressed his advantage.

Sweat poured down Alejandro's face and the veins in his temple bulged, just as Cecilio's did. Diego marveled at their endurance and began to fear one or both might get hurt but Alejandro finally reached his end and his arm went slamming down, ending the battle.

Alejandro stood bolt upright, nearly knocking over the bench. He brought his fists down on the table and glared at Cecilio. The cheers of the party died away in an instant. "Uh… Father?" Diego said timidly, worried where this was about to go. However, a smile began to creep across Alejandro's face and, at length, he broke out in boisterous laughter.

"Now _that_ was a real contest! Well done, old friend!" He reached across the table and shook Cecilio's hand. "Let's get some more to drink. I'm going to need to quench this thirst before we have a rematch. And there _will_ be one."

"You're welcome to borrow one my books if you would like," Cecilio jested.

All of the men followed Alejandro and Cecilio as they walked over to the bar with their empty glasses, except for Sebastian and Diego who lingered behind.

"So, Diego… is the party everything you expected?"

"Oh, yes. Everything. Everything and more," Diego said dryly. He wondered just how much more boisterous the evening could get.

~Z~Z~Z~

After everyone had eaten and Doña Catalina had called for more wine, they had moved to the sala where Victoria was surprised when Isabel and Magdalena brought out several wrapped packages.

"While we've seen you've gotten some truly impressive wedding presents," Magdalena said, "Doña Catalina rather thought that you as the bride deserved some just for yourself to make you feel welcome into the family."

"Or to make you laugh," Isabel said. "For I think every marriage needs its share of laughter. It would never do to be serious all of the time."

"Any more than it would do to be frivolous all of the time," Doña Catalina said. "And we also thought it would be a good time to discuss the vagaries of men, even if Lucretia is still some time from having to worry about that kind of thing."

"I've always thought it a good idea for a woman to know everything she can. It's certainly safer than knowing nothing and then being put in a bad spot because of it," Victoria said.

"I agree with Victoria," said Lucretia, sounding a little tipsy. "Which is why I've managed to sneak books from father's library." She suddenly giggled and closed her mouth as if she knew she'd said too much.

Doña Catalina looked at Lucretia with a little calculation. "I knew I should have watered your wine more at dinner."

Margarita spoke up. "I don't know that watering the wine makes it any better. Anyway, it's better to talk about men when they're not around to complain about us talking about them."

"I imagine Diego will be hearing more than he wants to about women," Isabel said. "Or more accurately a dissertation on the difference between women as women and wives."

"As if we're two separate species," Doña Catalina said. "Of course, that's men for you. Trying to put us into little boxes."

"Are we really that much better?" Doña Magdalena said significantly.

"No," Doña Catalina said. "It simply goes to show that people will be people regardless of sex. And tonight I'm in no mood to rise above being a person." She looked at Victoria. "But first Victoria deserves her presents."

"I really don't need presents," Victoria said.

"But that is the point," Isabel said. "And we're hoping you enjoy them." She looked at the packages. "I think you'll find them entertaining at the very least."

"And we'll start with the most traditional of the presents," Doña Catalina said, as she held out a small package. "As Diego's grandmother is no longer around, I happen to have the gift that she meant for his bride."

Victoria pulled off the paper to find a small jewel case. Opening it, she saw a pearl necklace and a matching pair of earrings. "They're beautiful," she said, as she took them out of the box. "It's too much."

"Not for my grandniece," Doña Catalina said. "And Graciana would have said the same about her future granddaughter. She was a truly sweet woman... unlike me," she added with a grin. "But then Sebastian needed someone sweet to balance out his temper, and Everardo needed someone fiery to balance out his easy going nature. Not unlike you and Diego or Isabel and Sebastian."

"I'd hardly call myself fiery, Grandmama," Isabel said. "Opinionated and impertinent perhaps, but not fiery."

"Perhaps, but the important point is that you and Sebastian complement each other. You balance each other out. Enough alike that your principles and morals align, but enough differences so that you'll never get bored," Doña Catalina said. "However, the relationship talk is supposed to come later, and you need the next gift." She looked over to Isabel.

"I suppose that's me and Lucretia then," Isabel said, picking up a box, while Lucretia held out a small package. "Now everyone needs one horribly ugly or silly gift that can give you a laugh for years, and on the off chance you haven't gotten one yet, we have this for you."

Victoria opened the box to find an almost matched pair of bookends with what looked like rather blobby cows each leaning against a hefty fence, though on closer look one appeared to be a bull wearing a cravat and the other a cow with a lacy skirt and a veil attached to its horns. They really were ridiculous.

"You don't have to put them anywhere they can be seen," Isabel said. "I think they'd probably do best in an obscure corner holding a few books that you find humorous or uplifting. Though perhaps they won't serve their purpose as well since you can't ask yourself in all sincerity, 'What were they thinking?', since of course you know they're not intended at all seriously."

Victoria looked at them. "No, I think I'll like them more, since I don't have to wonder if this was sincere or an insult. Much better to know I'm supposed to laugh." Then she took Lucretia's package and opened it to find copies of Spanish translations of the comedies of Molière as well as Shakespeare. "Thank you, Lucretia."

"They wouldn't let me give you the ones I wanted since they have been banned, and I'm not supposed to know about them, but then Grandmama said that Diego would probably already have them anyway, since he's never been one to let anyone else's restrictions get in the way of his reading."

"That's enough, Lucretia," Doña Catalina said firmly. "You know that unmarried women are not permitted quite the freedoms of married ones."

"It is the way the world currently works— unfair though it is," Doña Magdalena said. "Though I'd say that Victoria has managed to have more freedom than most."

"Only by finding a unique place for myself, and it hasn't been easy," Victoria said.

"But I'm sure it's been very exciting," Margarita said. "And you still have gifts left."

"That is true," Magdalena said as she proffered her gift. "This isn't just from me, but as we've gotten gifts for laughter and belonging, we thought we'd also offer one for romance."

Victoria opened the package to find a lovely nightgown much finer than any she had with delicate embroidery around the neckline which seemed rather low cut. "It's very beautiful," she said.

"Men tend to be rather visual creatures," Magdalena said. "And this should serve its purpose nicely as well as being very comfortable."

"And every woman deserves to feel beautiful on her wedding night," Isabel said.

"And have a considerate husband," Magdalena added.

"I haven't given my gift yet," Margarita interrupted with a bit of a whine. "I may not have been in on the planning, but my gift's useful and romantic too."

Victoria saw Doña Catalina's slight frown as she spoke. "Yes, well, we best continue before we get sidetracked too far."

Margarita was practically bouncing as she handed over her package.

Unwrapping the present, Victoria nearly panicked when she saw the black silk, first thinking that Margarita however dim she seemed had figured out the truth before reason returned and she remembered what the girl had said about black being a romantic color. Examining the bundle, she discovered five black silk scarves, which seemed a bit excessive though Diego might find them a use for them at some point in the future.

"Thank you," Victoria said politely as she held up one. "I'm sure they'll be very useful."

"Oh, yes, they can be _very_ useful," Margarita said with a giggle. "And as I said _romantic_. It's amazing what you and your husband can do with silk especially if he..."

Doña Catalina suddenly cleared her throat very loudly. "Yes, well, perhaps we ought to move on."

~Z~Z~Z~

The men had spent the past several hours playing games, many of them involving alcohol in one way or another but now the night was beginning to wear on and instead of making merry, they leaned lazily against the table, staring off at nothing in particular, with the exceptions of Ernesto who was leaning against a pole asleep and Felipe who had disappeared into the back parlor some time before. Diego hoped he was asleep.

"Son," Alejandro said, jarring Diego and the others out of their reverie.

"Father?"

"You're going to be a married man soon and… and I know that you don't necessarily… it's just that…"

"Just what?"

"I just want to give you the benefit of my… experience. I want to make sure you know how a man should… treat his bride."

Diego suddenly wished he hadn't been so calculating in avoiding wine during the evening. Still, he was a captive audience and braced himself for a conversation he couldn't pretend wasn't happening.

"You see, son, the way you treat a bride is... well... it's..." Alejandro's voice trailed off, he pursed his lips, and looked about as if searching for the correct words. "Women," he finally said, "women are like horses. You don't just jump on and take off riding. You have to ease your way into the saddle, give each other time to get comfortable, familiar." He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Take the reins. You... _you_ are the one in command here. You need to have a firm hand but you also need to be gentle. In the end, if you are patient, then..." Alejandro smiled a little wryly, "then both of you can happily get where you want to go."

"Actually, Alejandro," Cecilio said, sounding more than half tipsy. "I'd say women are more like musical instruments, requiring patience and familiarity to master, but when you've taken your time and mastered the art, there's no sweeter sound."

Mendoza spoke up. "I'd always heard that it's more like being at a banquet. Everything you want is right there, but you have to pace yourself." He turned red when everyone looked at him.

Rafael took another big gulp of wine. "No, no, you all have it wrong. Women are…" he paused for a moment and groped at the air as if trying to grasp just the right words, "they're just plain loco. The moment you think they're sensible they go and throw a big fit simply because you got the wrong color satin and refuse to..." He suddenly shut up before draining his glass.

Diego felt like crawling under the table. He really didn't need to hear any of this. 

"Gentlemen," Sebastian spoke up, "I believe all of you are making it far too simple. Women, like men, can't all be fit into the same mold. They each have their own… idiosyncrasies. What do you think, Diego?"

"Women are individuals. Each one is unique. I think that no one analogy will do this topic justice."

"Well said, cousin," Sebastian said clapping him on the shoulder. "I wager that our ladies aren't sitting around talking about this sort of thing."

"Indeed," Diego replied. _At least I'd wager_ Victoria _isn't._

~Z~Z~Z~

"My dear," Doña Catalina said, "you just have to remember that a man is akin to a dog... trainable if you use the right technique."

Only half listening, Victoria was sitting next to Isabel on the sofa, feeling a bit muzzle-headed, and wishing she'd done for herself what she'd done for Diego and made sure she'd had something safe to drink, though at least now despite the hour there was some coffee to help counteract things. After the present exchange they'd spent some time playing cards only instead of betting money, they'd bet bits of advice good or bad that they'd heard from others about marriage, and even though the game had ended the discussion had not.

"I heard something similar, only she used horses," Doña Magdalena said. "Of course, there was the fact that she far preferred horses to her husband. Actually she preferred horses to people; it was her good fortune that her husband preferred horses as well. It was the only thing they had in common."

"Well, then perhaps in her case it was accurate enough, unless of course they had children," Doña Catalina said with a slightly wicked grin. "And I will say that it is true enough that most men can be trained out of bad habits if you give them the right kind of incentive. My Everardo, God rest his soul, was the kindest, gentlest, sweetest man in the world, and I wouldn't have traded him for anything, but he did need help to stick to a decision. Of course, in his youth he'd relied on his more decisive twin and then he always told me that he admired my strong will. Lord knows, not that many men would have considered that an advantage."

Margarita, who Victoria had thought had fallen asleep on another sofa, piped up. "Oh, yes, men need to be guided, otherwise they'd get so dull and unappealing. Or stubborn. It's so silly when they are."

"True, stubbornness is the perquisite of the female population," Isabel said in a light-hearted tone that indicated she didn't intend to be taken seriously. "Men are only supposed to be strong-minded."

"So they often claim," said Doña Catalina.

"I think that pig headed is the apter term," Victoria said. "If a man thinks he's right, it sometimes seems to take a miracle to get him to change his mind."

"You have a 'strong-minded' gentleman as well?" Isabel said.

"When it suits his purpose," Victoria said quietly, mindful that she should not give away too much. "About his newspaper or his experiments, he can be very stubborn indeed."

"Sebastian can be the same, though obviously on different topics," Isabel said. "Though it's one of the things that made me fall in love with him, as I can't abide weak-willed men."

"For me, too, though it took me awhile to figure it out, as Diego's way is to refuse to conform to others' expectations. It can be endearing in its own way, even when I want to shake him."

"And that's probably why Sebastian and Diego get along so well; they understand each other," Isabel said.

"Diego is very understanding in general," Victoria said.

"And I imagine in specific," Isabel said in a low tone with a significant look in her eye. "It's a useful characteristic in a husband."

Imagining she understood what she meant, Victoria nodded and said, "I look forward to finding out how useful." She really wished Diego was there and wondered how things were going at the tavern at this point.

~Z~Z~Z~

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Diego asked as he watched Teo rock back and forth unsteadily.

"This is sure... I'm…I mean, this is a great idea. You'll love this game," Teo said in a slur.

"Sebastian, why don't you move the hat a little closer?" Diego said.

His cousin did as he was bade. Diego had doubts that at this point Teo would be able to toss a playing card into a hat if he was holding it in his other hand. There was no way he was going to make it all the way across the tavern. Sebastian placed it only a few feet away.

"All it takes is…a steady hand and…a good eye. Get the hat into the card and…winner gets another drink." Teo moved to toss the card but instead he fell face forward, unconscious.

"Do you think he's okay?" Sebastian asked.

"Oh, yes. The floor broke his fall," Diego said without bothering to mask his sarcasm.

"So…what now, cousin?"

Diego looked around the room. Señor Calvillo was half-asleep at the bar, Alejandro and Cecilio were unconscious at one of the tables, their hands still locked from more arm wrestling. Rafael lay at the base of the stairs, Ernesto still leaning against a post, and Mendoza on the floor next to the bar.

"Felipe?" Diego asked.

"Oh, don't worry. He's asleep in the parlor, looking very comfortable. It looks like we're the last ones standing."

"I suppose we should actually get everyone to bed."

"I guess so." Sebastian approached Mateo who still sat stoically away from the group. "Mateo?"

"Señor?"

"Would you be so kind as to help us get everyone upstairs?"

Mateo carefully put his book down. "Of course."

"Gracias, Mateo." Sebastian returned to where Diego stood over Teo. "Why don't we start with him?"

"Might as well." Diego reached down to take hold of him but Sebastian grabbed him by the arm.

"Look, Diego. He got the card into the hat!"

"True. However, the card is still in his hand."

"Very well. A half point then."

"Agreed." Diego and Sebastian got him off the floor and began carrying him to the stairs. "I just had a terrible thought," Diego started.

"What?"

A huge grin spread across Diego's face. "Do you think that means he's going to expect half a drink when he wakes up?"

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the course of my research I learned that the traditional Spanish wedding dress was black, but obviously I didn't really want to go in that direction, though I did find a picture of a quite lovely black dress during my research that almost made me change my mind. Also I didn't want to go for the white wedding dress either since it did not really start being a tradition until after Queen Victoria's wedding which obviously post-dates the series, and besides, I really hated the outfit that Victoria wore in "A New Lease on Love" and "My Word is My Bond." At the time, the wedding dress was usually the bride's best which could be worn on other occasions. And I like that blue often symbolizes love and fidelity. Of course, it also gave me another opportunity for Margarita to be annoying and that was also a plus. 
> 
> The entire slightly mad "Women are like..." conversation was actually inspired by a moment in an episode of High Chaparral where John Cannon was talking to his son about taming a horse and used the opposite analogy of horses being like women. Ghetto Outlaw wrote Alejandro's "women are like horses" bit which I had to cut from the "Man Who Cried Wolf" story because it no longer fit in context when I got to it, but I loved it and decided to save it for the sort of stag party. And the rest came from a conversation where we started riffing on what analogies other characters might use and thus the end product and in fact the party itself which was the excuse for the conversation. I hope it amuses readers as much as it did Ghetto Outlaw and me. In any event, he's pretty much responsible for writing the whole of the stag party, while I wrote the comparable party with the ladies which was for some reason harder to write, but I couldn't just have Diego at a party and Victoria not have one of her own.


	33. Turning the Page (Balancing the Books) Part 5

The next morning, Diego and Sebastian were among the first downstairs in the tavern, though Felipe was there before them. He signed that he'd checked on Don Alejandro and Don Cecilio and they were both still out cold.

"Well, neither of them are as young as they were," Diego said.

"And neither of them has quite the same head for alcohol," Sebastian said. "Though Señor Calvillo seems to be having no problems of note." He indicated where the man had just emerged from the kitchen.

"True," Diego said. "So what do you want to do? Wait until everyone else recovers or go ahead and return to the hacienda."

"I don't know about you, but I've been apart from my wife enough, and I suspect my brother is going to sleeping things off well into the afternoon."

"I doubt it will be that long for my father or uncle, but I agree that I'd rather return home to see how Victoria fared at her party."

"I can only hope they avoided bloodshed," Sebastian said. "Rafael's wife seems to annoy most of the rest of the family, though Isabel mainly finds her amusing."

"And she and Victoria really did not get on well at their first meeting either."

"Anyway, why should we suffer here when we were the responsible ones?"

"I quite agree," Diego said. "And I suspect that we'll get a better breakfast at the hacienda as well. Let me tell Señor Calvillo that we're returning home in case any of our relatives actually have the strength to ask, and then we can leave."

Accomplishing his task, Diego was soon on the road accompanied by Sebastian and Felipe.

"I think Teo is definitely going to regret last night," Sebastian said, "especially as I believe that our father is due to arrive this afternoon."

"Oh, that's right," Diego said. "In all the excitement last night, it had quite slipped my mind, and he won't be too happy to see one of his sons nursing a hangover."

"No, he won't, and he's always considered your father a bad influence."

"He would," Diego said, then he sighed. "I just hope that Victoria's brother Francisco arrives soon. He was supposed to be here by Wednesday, and I know she's worried. She hasn't heard a word from her other brother in nearly a year, and obviously that worries her as well. Not to mention that she's been utterly overwhelmed by my family."

Sebastian gave him a look.

"Obviously some members more than others, but even you must admit that your grandmother can be quite imposing at times."

"Now, I really hope there was no blood shed last night."

When they arrived at the hacienda, Felipe took care of the horses while Diego and Sebastian entered the house. They found Victoria and Isabel alone at the breakfast table. Isabel seemed quite cheerful as she rose to greet her husband, while Victoria appeared to be nursing a cup of coffee, with a glass of juice sitting beside it and barely looked up as Diego sat down beside her.

"Good morning, my love," Diego said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I wish I'd not drunk those last two glasses of wine," she said. "I should have stuck to juice." She took a sip from her cup. "And how are you?"

"Feeling much better than most of the rest of the men," he said. "Between Sebastian and Felipe, I managed to avoid the excesses of the rest. Sebastian and I were impatient to return to our ladies."

"Which explains your rising so early," Victoria said. "So the rest are?"

"Sleeping off a truly excessive party," Diego said. "And how did your party go?"

"Nobody's dead," Victoria said. "And we managed to survive Margarita's excessive need to share details no one really wanted to know about her marriage to your cousin. And how did your party go?"

"We all survived," he replied. "Though I wouldn't have been surprised if Teo had been overcome with alcohol poisoning."

"Diego," Sebastian said. "Isabel and I are returning to the other hacienda. We want to check on the children."

Diego nodded at his cousin and his wife, thinking that there was probably another reason for them to want to leave more quickly. He sighed. Only three more days, and he and Victoria could shut the world out and do as they please.

Victoria just managed to say farewell as they left, and Diego urged her to sit on the sofa where she leaned against him.

"I missed you," she said.

"And I missed you." He adjusted her position so that he could massage her temples.

"That's very nice," Victoria said. "You are very good with your hands."

"It's all that practice... on the piano," he said, slyly. "Makes the hands very dextrous."

"So that's it," she said with a slight smirk. "I never would have guessed."

"Oh, you'll find I'm full of surprises."

"Indeed," Victoria said dreamily. She turned her head around and upward. Diego happily obliged with a kiss. "I like surprises."

~Z~Z~Z~

Around lunchtime, Victoria and Diego returned to the pueblo so he could check on his still absent relatives and she could check on the state of her tavern. Once inside Victoria headed first to her wine cellar to see how it fared, while he found his father and uncle sitting at the back of the room, cups of some truly foul looking liquid in their hands. Diego watched as they both lifted and drained the cups at the same time. He almost laughed when he saw their nearly identical looks of disgust.

"Good afternoon, Father, Uncle Cecilio," he said, when he reached them.

"Not so loud, son," Alejandro said.

"I'm no louder than the rest of the tavern, Father," he said. "I would have thought you both would have preferred not to come down _before_ drinking whatever it is you just drank."

"I'd say it was hair of the dog in a metaphorical sense," Cecilio said, making a face, "but I actually suspect that one of the main ingredients is in fact dog hair."

"I'm not sure it was the dog's _hair_ ," Alejandro said grumpily.

"But did it help?" Diego asked.

"Surprisingly, yes," Cecilio said. "But then Señor Calvillo did say that this was honed over the years."

"Yes, the sergeant was known for his cooking and his hangover remedy," Alejandro said. "Though I would wish that he would find a way to make this slightly less disgusting."

"I think the point is for it to be as disgusting as possible as a reminder of why you don't want to need to drink it," Cecilio said.

"And yet we keep forgetting," Alejandro said.

"Probably because we don't do this often," said Cecilio.

"Anymore." Alejandro looked up at his son. "Where's Victoria?"

"She went to check... on things." Diego paused as he saw her emerge from the cellar; she smiled at him before entering the kitchen. "And has there been any sign from Rafael, Ernesto, or Teo yet?" he asked once she was out of sight.

Cecilio and Alejandro glanced at each other. "To be honest, we don't know. Neither of us was in a fit state to inquire," Cecilio said. "You'd think the younger ones would be able to hold their wine better."

"You'd think so," Alejandro said. "But there's a lot to be said for the experience of age."

Looking at Diego, Cecilio said, "However, I think we have before us an example of youthful cunning. You seem to be suffering from no ill effects from last night."

"None of note," Diego said. "But then neither is Sebastian nor Felipe, though he at least was spared the maneuvering that Sebastian and I were forced to make, as neither of us are at all amenable to the idea of drinking so much as to make us sick and miserable the next day. Frankly, I don't understand how that is supposed to be fun."

Don Alejandro simply shook his head, and Diego was diverted by the sight of his cousin Sebastian coming into the tavern. He crossed to him quickly, not really wanting to get into any further discussion of his managing to avoid getting drunk and consequently hungover.

"Diego, much as I doubt the answer is yes, has my little brother managed to pull himself out of bed yet?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't think so. Why?"

"Isabel asked me to check on him and make sure he's coherent enough to face our father when he arrives." He rolled his eyes. "Frankly, though, Teo pretty much made his own bed, but then..."

"You'd miss tormenting your brother for his own good," Diego said with a sly grin.

Sebastian returned it. "You are correct. Want to help?"

"I'll get the hangover remedy, if you want to go upstairs."

"I'll wait," Sebastian said.

It wasn't long before the two of them were heading upstairs to the room they'd dropped Teo into the night before. Sebastian made no attempt to be quiet, throwing the door open and practically slamming it shut when he and Diego were inside. Teo didn't even move. Sebastian stared down at his brother in some irritation.

"I'd dump water on him, but I don't want to cause Señorita Escalante more work," Sebastian said. He then reached into his jacket pocket pulling out a bell that had been wrapped in a handkerchief to keep it from jingling.

Diego put the glass down on the dresser and walked over to the window. "All right. You've got the bell. I've got the window," he said, wondering if they were in fact being a bit cruel, especially since they were not subjecting Rafael or Ernesto to the same treatment, but then Uncle Horacio would be a lot more biting.

Standing next to the bed, Sebastian swung the bell near his brother's ear, while Diego threw open the windows to let in the sunshine.

Teo jerked upright and then fell back hand over his eyes. After a moment he cracked open one eye, staring from beneath his fingers. "I hate you," he said to Sebastian.

"I know," his brother replied with a smirk. "But you'd hate me more if I left you here for our father to find you."

Teo sighed. "You're right. But I still hate you both."

"Fine, but sit up so that we can give you something so that you will hate us less."

"Only if Diego shuts the window and gets rid of all that blasted light," Teo said, not moving.

Diego closed the window, and Sebastian helped his brother to sit up, as Diego brought over the cup.

"Drink this quickly," Diego said. "Then you have to suffer the taste for a shorter period of time."

Half-lolling against the headboard, Teo tilted the glass against his lips and began chugging down the liquid. Once it was gone Sebastian grabbed the glass before Teo dropped it.

"That was truly disgusting," Teo said, his eyes closed. After a moment he half opened then, and added, "But not half as disgusting as how cheerful you two look. Why aren't you miserable?"

"Because neither of us drank even a quarter as much as you did," Diego said.

Teo started to shake his head and then thought better of it. "You're the groom; you aren't supposed to stay sober. And my own dear brother aiding him."

"Yes, I'm so thoroughly ashamed," Sebastian said dryly. "Especially since we can remember every foolish thing that happened last night, with absolutely no after effects. It is terrible indeed."

"I don't know," Diego said. "A headache might be a small price to pay to forget some of it. There's at least one conversation I would prefer to believe never really happened."

"Ah, yes, I can't blame you there, cousin," Sebastian said. "Lord knows I tried to block out all the 'helpful' advice I got before marrying Isabel, and she told me that she tried doing the same."

Diego was taken aback. "Now I have to hope that Victoria is more fortunate than me in not having as much she'd want to block out." He walked over to the window and reopened it just enough to look out without letting in too much sun. Another reason to wish the previous night away, he thought. If only he and Victoria could be married today...

"You'd probably be surprised at what the ladies talk about," Sebastian said. "Even the edited versions my wife has told me are well..." He shuddered dramatically when Diego looked back at him.

Victoria's earlier comments about Margarita popped into Diego's head. _Edited_ , he thought, _knowing a couple of the ladies, 'redacted' might be a better word._ He wondered if he should ask her more about what happened. However, something caught his eye outside. A carriage had just pulled to a stop in front of the tavern, and a man was getting out.

"Sebastian, you'd better help Teo get presentable," Diego said. "Your father's here."

"What!" Teo exclaimed before lying back with a groan.

"Your father's here," Diego reiterated. "He's just entered the tavern."

"Oh, no," Teo moaned.

"Yes, well, I'm going to go downstairs to greet him, I suggest you use the time you've got expeditiously."

"We will," Sebastian said, yanking the blankets off his brother, as Diego stepped out of the room.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria had been pleased to see that her tavern was in a state of relative order despite whatever antics the men had gotten up to the night before. It made things easier as she was still feeling slightly under the weather. It was a relief to see that while the party had drained the wine that Alejandro had provided they hadn't done much to her own stores. When she entered the kitchen, she saw that Alicia and Pilar had cleaned up the remains of the party, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. She started chopping vegetables. Just as she was dropping all of them into a bowl, she heard a voice behind her.

"Do you ever lock this door? Anyone could come in."

Whirling around, Victoria squealed in delight to see her brother Francisco. Grabbing him in a hug, she said, "What kept you? We expected you last week."

Francisco smiled slightly. "I meant to leave earlier but something came up which delayed me, but I didn't think you would mind."

"Not mind? Not mind worrying about whether anything had happened to you?" she asked, irately.

"Obviously nothing did," Francisco said. "Come, sweet sister, don't you want to know what it was that kept me from leaving when I meant to."

Victoria gave him a piercing glare. "Clearly, you think it's something special."

"I think you will too," he said as he opened the back door to reveal their brother Ramón.

With an even louder shout of joy, Victoria quickly crossed to hug the brother that she hadn't heard from in nearly a year. "Ramón!"

He grinned at his sister. "Now do you forgive Francisco?"

"Yes, but why didn't you write to me?" she asked.

He looked surprised. "I did, several times. They must have gotten lost. I was in a pretty remote location for a while."

Victoria wondered why he was being so vague, but before she could press for an answer, Diego burst into the kitchen.

"Are you..." he started to say before seeing who was with Victoria. "Francisco, Ramón, it's been too long."

"Definitely," Victoria said.

"Did you really think we'd miss seeing our only sister getting married?" Ramón asked. "Especially to you."

"Why especially to me?" Diego asked.

Francisco looked at Victoria with a teasing smile. "I remember when she was a skinny little thing always wanting to follow you about."

"I did not," Victoria protested, her cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, you did too," Ramón added.

"It's not as if I minded spending time with her," Diego said. "As I recall it was her two brothers who kept trying to send her home. Probably because she was more competitive than you were."

Ramón laughed. "That is true. And now you get to deal with that permanently."

"I am very pleased to do so," Diego said.

"Yes, _Diego_ isn't intimidated by a strong-minded woman," Victoria said.

"Well, neither are we, or we wouldn't have survived between you and Mother," Ramón said.

"Though some things would have been easier," Francisco said with a not entirely serious expression.

"For you perhaps," Victoria said. "But despite that I am so happy to see you both."

"The wedding wouldn't have felt right without you here," Diego added.

"No, it wouldn't," Victoria said.

"Oh, Victoria," Diego said. "Uncle Horacio has arrived too."

"I suppose we should have mentioned it," Ramón said. "We met up with him on the last part of the trip, and, well, there's safety in numbers, and it was lucky that he remembered us once we reminded him of who we were. He hadn't really changed at all since we last saw him."

"While you both clearly have," Diego said. "I'd better get back to see if Teo has managed to get himself downstairs." Then to Victoria, "Do you want to come with me before you get your brothers settled?"

"I should," Victoria said.

"You don't have to bother with us," Francisco said. "Just tell us where we're sleeping and we'll handle it ourselves. We can do our catching up later."

"All right," Victoria said. "Señor Calvillo has your old room, so you both are in the big room at the end of the upper hall."

"Good, I always liked that room better anyway," Ramón said. "Come on, Francisco."

Once her brothers left the kitchen, Victoria started to follow them, but Diego quickly wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you," she replied.

"I wish..." He couldn't really find the words for everything he wished at the moment, especially without sounding like a selfish cad for preferring the thought of spiriting her away somewhere so they could be alone when he knew she hadn't seen her brothers for such a long time.

"So do I," she said. "But we have relatives who deserve our attentions. Now will you reintroduce me to Don Horacio, as I doubt he remembers me. Then we can invite my brothers to the family dinner tonight."

Victoria and Diego reluctantly left the kitchen, where Diego saw Teo standing before his father, looking for all the world like a man who expects his head to fall off his shoulders at any moment. And he certainly hadn't fooled his father who was shaking his head in obvious disappointment at Teo's condition, though it was his own father's voice he heard.

"Oh, Horacio, don't be such a stick in the mud; it was a party celebrating my son's finally exiting bachelorhood. It's a shame you missed it."

"My duties wouldn't permit me to leave any sooner, and allow me leave to doubt that either your son or my eldest managed to get themselves into a similar state."

Diego decided to interrupt at this point. "Uncle Horacio," he said, in a deliberately cheery voice as he came up to him. "It's a pleasure to see you. How was your trip?"

"Tolerable," he said, looking past Diego at Victoria. "But I would rather greet your lovely betrothed."

"Of course," Diego said, as Victoria came to stand beside him. "Uncle Horacio, this is Victoria Escalante; I don't know if you remember her."

"I do, though I might not have recognized her if it were not for those eyes, just like her mother's, and they've only grown brighter over the years. You've grown from a lovely girl to a beautiful lady, Señorita Escalante," he said, taking her hand and kissing it gallantly.

Diego could see Teo rolling his eyes at his father's compliments and raised an eyebrow. Teo shrugged slightly before turning away, an embarrassed expression on his face.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Don Horacio," Victoria said. "We're very happy you could come for the wedding."

"I wouldn't miss it," Horacio said. "Though it seems I missed some excitement by arriving today." He glanced back at Teo.

"I wouldn't say that, Father," Sebastian said coming up suddenly. "I'd say it was rather staid all things considered."

"It's the 'all things considered' that troubles me," Horacio said, then he sighed as he heard Diego's father making a scoffing noise. "Nevertheless, I am happy to be here for the more important gathering— Alejandro getting the daughter he's been wanting for years." He grinned suddenly at his cousin.

Alejandro clapped Horacio on the shoulder. "I've been waiting a long time indeed. And I'm very glad you're here."

"So, it looks like the whole family is finally here," Diego said as he sidled up next to Sebastian. "Do you think Teo is going to be okay?"

"Oh he'll be fine." The two watched Teo and Horacio walk outside the tavern. While they couldn't make out what Horacio was saying, they were certain it wasn't doing much good for Teo's headache. "This is all quite normal for them." Sebastian sighed deeply.

"What is it?"

"Oh, I just worry sometimes about whether or not Teo will ever settle down with the right young lady. I think it would be a remarkable tempering influence on him."

"Take heart, cousin," Diego said reassuringly. "He may surprise us yet."

"And _that_ ," Sebastian mused, "worries me more."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next couple of days were incredibly busy as the last preparations for the wedding were made. The final banns were read on Sunday, and Victoria and Diego both were relieved that there was no protest to interfere with their marriage. Things had been going so well, they were almost certain that something was due to go amiss beyond having to put up with family foibles. Victoria enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with her brothers while being reminded at the same time why they had a tendency to squabble when they spent too much time to together. Ramón was being particularly closed mouthed about what he had been up to since she'd last seen him, other than saying he'd been getting by well enough.

She suspected it was more Francisco that he wanted to keep in the dark as they'd parted ways on the subject of revolutionary activities. Victoria herself was torn on the subject. She wanted justice for the people of California, but she was not particularly certain if they would be exchanging one set of oppressors for another. For the moment she was willing enough to put her curiosity aside so that hopefully everything would continue to go smoothly, as she wanted nothing more than to be able to get married without any major crisis to disrupt the proceedings.

Finally it was the night before the wedding, and there seemed to be a conspiracy by every member of the family to keep her and Diego from having more than a half a minute's conversation together. Doña Magdalena and Isabel kept her occupied as she packed the items (including her wedding dress) that she was going to need at the tavern, since she would be spending her last night as a single woman there with Doña Magdalena and Don Cecilio acting in the stead of her parents. She couldn't help but shake her head at the thought that she'd already so transferred her belongings that she actually _needed_ to pack to stay at her own tavern. Of course, there was also a certain amount of bustling as some of the servants were preparing to move her things from the guest room to Diego's room once they were married. Both were superstitious enough to not want to tempt fate by having them moved before the vows were said.

Don Alejandro had dragged Diego off again with Don Cecilio for more wedding fiesta business. She only had a hope of seeing him before she left for the pueblo. The air was filled with the smells of cooking, which Victoria was thankful for once that she wasn't having to do. And half of the de la Vega hands were busy arranging all the tables and benches for the expected guests. It really was looking to be the largest party Los Angeles had seen in some time, as Don Alejandro had had a lot of time to plan it and the resources to make it magnificent.

And despite all the evidence around her, Victoria still had a hard time grasping the fact that by this time the next day she would finally be married to Diego. All the waiting, all the maneuvering, all the learning how to control her temper and keep his secrets, all culminating in their being able to start their life together. It felt overwhelming, and what she wanted most of all was to be in Diego's presence. However, barring that, what she really needed was a moment alone so using the excuse that she wanted to check on her horse, she slipped away to the stable.

Fortuna really was a wonderful horse, and Victoria was very grateful for Don Alejandro's gift. Victoria had brought a couple of sugar cubes for Fortuna. As she petted her horse's muzzle, Victoria suddenly felt a very familiar pair of arms snake around her and she turned to see Diego smiling at her.

Not wanting to waste whatever limited time they'd have together, Victoria pulled him down for a kiss. A long minute later, Diego drew back, and once she could speak, she said, "I'm glad to see you."

"I'm glad to kiss you," he said, giving her another kiss, this one light and quick.

"Tomorrow," she said, resting her head against his chest.

"Tomorrow." He tightened his grasp on her.

"And what are you supposed to be doing right now?" Victoria asked.

"I actually was supposed to be checking the stables," Diego said. "The fact that you were here was simply a delightful coincidence."

"I needed a moment alone," Victoria said. "And then I got something better."

Diego gave her another kiss, but then he sighed. "I'm afraid someone will be looking for us soon."

"I know," she said with a sigh of her own. "I'll just have to look forward to tomorrow."

"Why does it feel so far away?" he asked.

"Probably because it has taken so long to get here," she said. "I keep feeling like something is bound to happen. So often it has."

"I know that feeling, but so far everything seems..."

Victoria put a finger on his lips to stop him talking. "Don't say it. We don't want to curse ourselves to bad luck."

Diego smiled and kissed her finger. "I wasn't going to say anything like that. I'm not superstitious by nature, but even I don't want to risk bringing bad luck on our wedding day. With qualifications, it looks like most things have been seen to, and everything is almost ready for tomorrow. And our relatives even slipped up enough to give us these few minutes together. So I'm optimistic."

At that moment, they heard Don Alejandro off in the distance calling for his son.

"Optimistic?" Victoria asked with a grin.

Diego leaned down and kissed her one more time. "Well… cautiously."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria did not expect to get much sleep that night, especially not after having to put up with her brothers' teasing which while good natured was not of the kind to relieve her anxieties. However, Doña Magdalena in her quiet way finally got them to stop, and made her a cup of herbal tea which she swore would help her nerves and make it easier to sleep without any lingering side effects in the morning.

"We wanted you rested tonight, not lethargic on the morrow," Doña Magdalena had assured her.

Victoria had agreed, though she rather doubted that anything would help her to rest. Much to her surprise she did fall asleep though her dreams were far from restful or pleasant. Not that they started badly, as first she dreamed she was wandering through a field of incredibly large flowers. There were roses and lavender and so many others some of which she did not recognize. She was looking for Diego, but there seemed to be no hurry and she enjoyed looking at the blooms which seemed to be arranged as a message for her, though she could not understand what they meant. Eventually she found herself in a chapel made of roses where Diego stood by the altar.

That's when the dream changed. As she approached Diego, she suddenly felt someone grab her and turning she saw it was someone dressed as Zorro pulling her away from Diego. Fighting back she yanked the mask from his face revealing not Diego but their dead former alcalde Luis Ramone. His eyes were cloudy and white and his grip like iron. But as she struggled another Zorro appeared and wrenched Ramone away from her, before carrying her away. For a moment he seemed to be Diego, but then Diego himself appeared to try to rescue her. The second Zorro pulled his sword and Diego for some reason ended up fighting him left-handed until Victoria found herself between the men. When she felt a sword hit her, Victoria woke with a start.

It took her some time to calm herself. _Nothing anything remotely like that can happen_ , she told herself, repeating it until she could relax. At least her nightmare wasn't realistic. But still she felt anxious, and it was too early to get up. She forced herself to lie still and think of more pleasant things. She remembered Diego's reciting poetry to her in the garden, the seductive power of his _voice_ of all things. She had nearly melted from his words alone, though paired with his actions, she had definitely regretted the time left until their wedding, which was now only a few hours away. And thinking of his voice made her reflect on the time when she had been so blind to who he really was. How could she not have known? His eyes, his voice both should have told her the truth. Her confused feelings about Zorro and Diego should have given her the answer.

But it took one moment of clarity during a stormy night to rip the blinders off and for her to really see him, all of him. And then it had taken them so much time to get to this point. From courtship to an all too long engagement; all to convince people that her affections had shifted from one man to another. So many challenges to get to this day, when they could finally pledge their love to each other. Not that this would mean their lives would be any less dangerous. There would always be danger as long as Diego needed to don the mask. But at least their chief enemy was not here to spoil this beginning for them. Diego had told her that it was his friend Ernesto that had arranged De Soto's absence from Los Angeles; she really needed to thank him. But more, she really needed to sleep some more. It would not do if she fell asleep at the ceremony or at the party or even worse the moment she and Diego were alone at the end of the day, as she had no intention of getting much in the way of rest on her wedding night and knew Diego felt the same.

Victoria finally managed to drift into a dreamlike state that didn't return her to a land of nightmares, and though it didn't feel as if she'd fallen asleep, she must have because she found herself being shaken awake by Doña Magdalena, who had brought her a tray with coffee and some fresh fruits to help her start the day.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as Victoria started picking over the tray, as she wasn't feeling overly hungry.

"Excited," Victoria said. "Nervous, happy." She ate a slice of orange. She hardly felt hungry but didn't want to feel faint later.

"Good," Doña Magdalena said. "Now eat up, as soon it will be time for you to get dressed, and fair warning, Doña Catalina and Isabel have just arrived wanting to help in whatever way they can."

"I don't mind, especially not Isabel," Victoria said. "But is Alicia here yet?"

"Oh, yes," Doña Magdalena said. "Your maid of honor arrived first. She's the one who prepared your breakfast. We're all very determined that you have an easy time this morning."

"I only hope Diego manages to have one as well," Victoria said.

"Well, Isabel indicated that Sebastian was determined to lend a hand in case Sergeant Mendoza is more agitated than the groom."

"That's... very probable," Victoria said.

"He's also promised to protect Diego from any overly exuberant fatherly advice this morning."

"That's also probably a good thing," Victoria said, thinking about all the ways a very excited Don Alejandro could try Diego's nerves without meaning to.

As soon as Victoria finished breakfast, she got dressed in a simple dress in order to go downstairs, as they'd decided to use the private parlor for her to get ready for the wedding as it had more room for everyone. She thought it unnecessary to have so many helping her, but she wasn't about to fight over the subject. Ironically, after the length of the engagement and all the work that had gone into the preparations, Victoria actually cared very little about all the fanfare surrounding the marriage ceremony.

She knew it made Don Alejandro and the rest of the family happy and gave the people something to look forward to and talk about, but all that she particularly cared about was that it wouldn't be too much longer until she was Diego's wife. In fact, she thought if she hadn't been worried about people putting Diego together with Zorro she would have been willing to elope with Diego almost as soon as she knew his secret. But the wait really had been a small price to pay to protect his secret, and it _had_ allowed them to get to know each other properly, learn how they each really thought and how well they could work together. It had not been time wasted.

And the day was finally here. They had their family with them, and in only a short time they would actually be married. So Victoria didn't complain as she and the other ladies locked themselves into the parlor and got her ready to marry the man she loved. As her hair was being pulled and combed and pinned, she hoped that Diego was having an easier time of it at the hacienda, which of course was very likely as it certainly wouldn't take him nearly as long to get dressed for the wedding. Victoria sighed.

"Is everything alright?" Doña Magdalena asked.

"What? Oh…everything is fine," Victoria replied a little awkwardly, having been shaken from her thoughts. "I was just wondering what Diego is doing right now."

"Probably not getting his hair done," Isabel chimed in as she carefully placed another pin.

The ladies couldn't help but giggle and Doña Magdalena patted Victoria on the shoulder. "For men, getting dressed isn't nearly so…complicated. Still, knowing Alejandro the way I do, I would wager that he is making sure Diego is getting suitable fussed over."

"I can well imagine," Victoria said.

Her hair done, Victoria stood as the ladies helped her into her dress. While the other women made adjustments to the front and checked to be sure everything was in place, Isabel began buttoning her dress in the back. "Not too tight?" she asked.

"No, it's fine."

"I remember the day Sebastian and I were married. I was so happy…though I will admit that all the fuss over getting dressed wasn't the most fun." As Isabel finished the last button, she leaned in close and whispered softly in Victoria's ear, "That part comes later."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria and Diego exited the chapel to be surrounded by well wishers. The chapel had been filled to capacity and there seemed an equal number of people were waiting outside or at the tavern where a large quantity of punch was waiting for the guests before the whole party moved towards the de la Vega hacienda where the celebration would begin in earnest. Victoria's head was in a whirl. Looking at her husband— her _husband!_ — Victoria felt warm from the smile on his face. He really did look exceptionally handsome in his new suit which so very well complemented her wedding dress. She could remember how he looked when he saw her in the chapel. He was about the only thing that was clear in her mind.

They were finally married, yet she could barely recall anything of the ceremony that they had just gone through save their speaking their vows, the exchange of rings, and their signing the register after it was over. Everything must have gone exactly as it should, since if anything had gone badly, she would have noticed, wouldn't she? Someone would have mentioned something.

Diego seemed as discombobulated as she was, though his smile was brilliant. They did not say much as they were surrounded by well wishers who were busy congratulating them but apparently didn't really need much more than a smile in acknowledgment. There was still an air of unreality as they made their way to the hacienda where there was already a large gathering of people. Victoria was relieved that the duties of hosting were not falling on either her or Diego as neither of them were in any mental condition to focus on anyone either than each other. Victoria knew that there was an abundance of food set out for guests to enjoy at their leisure between the games and the dancing but to be honest she had no particular interest in anything other than her husband. But she accepted that there was another gauntlet of people to go through before they moved into the garden where all the family and the most important guests had been gathering outside in the garden to enjoy the wine Don Alejandro had reserved for toasting his son's marriage. While most of the guests were sitting at the tables set up, Diego and Victoria were still standing together, the reluctant centers of attention, at least until Don Alejandro started to speak.

"Welcome, everyone," he said. "It is a glorious day today, and not just because of the weather."

Don Cecilio interjected, "As if the weather would dare contradict the determined papa."

There was some laughter at that.

"I'd rather say that I am a proud papa," Don Alejandro continued. "My son has at last married the woman that I have always longed to call my daughter, and we're here to celebrate that fact."

"And you getting closer to realizing your ambition to be a grandfather," Doña Catalina said.

"Well, yes, that too," Alejandro said. "But this is about my son and his bride beginning their life together. One hopefully filled with many happy years together as well as many happy children." He smiled at the last and then raised his glass. "To Diego and Victoria."

Everyone else raised their glasses and drank.

When the toast was done, Diego said, "Thank you, Father." He looked around. "And thank you all for joining us on this day. And frankly, I can't think of anything else to say."

"Well, I'm sure the best man can," Alejandro said, clapping Mendoza on the shoulder. "I know he's been looking forward to giving a speech."

Mendoza's eyes went wide as if he'd been hoping that something would come up to prevent his having to make a speech. Or perhaps that was only Victoria's feelings on the matter. The sergeant was a good man and a good friend, and while his stories could be entertaining, his general speech making was pretty inadequate. In any event, there were other much better things that should be happening like the dancing, and she knew that the children and several of the single ladies were looking forward to having fun with the cascarones they'd prepared. The confetti had been a bit of a trial to make, but fortunately so many eggs were being used in the preparations or at the tavern that it was a very convenient way of using the shells.

However, it didn't look like they were liable to be spared. Victoria was hoping that Mendoza would be brief. After all he was looking forward to the food and wouldn't want to delay getting to that.

"Um, thank you, Don Alejandro," Mendoza said. "I was very honored when Don Diego asked me to be his best man, as I've had the greatest respect for him and Señorita... I mean... Doña Victoria for a long time, and even before they started courting thought that they would make a good couple if not for..." He suddenly stopped as if realizing that it was not good form to mention any former suitors at a wedding especially not a masked man with a price on his head. "... all the trouble we seem to have in our little pueblo. But despite that, they managed to find time for love, and I wish them many happy years and many children, but..." he paused for a moment, "I hope that we can occasionally get some of your fresh made tamales."

"I wouldn't deprive you entirely," Victoria said with a smile.

"Good," Mendoza said. "That would be tragic, and definitely not something we need worry about on such a happy day. And speaking of food..."

"Actually, Sergeant, I was thinking it's time for the dancing," Don Alejandro said.

"Of course," Mendoza said with a slightly forlorn expression.

Victoria, unlike Mendoza, was very happy to get to the dancing. Diego was equally enthusiastic as they'd had very few occasions to dance together, one wedding, some practice with Mendoza, a private one in the tavern, still not quite as wonderful as dancing together at their own wedding. Despite his dislike of being the center of attention, Diego danced with uncharacteristic (or at least to the general public) energy and skill, though no one really thought it odd that a new bridegroom would be happy to dance with his bride.

As she and Diego spun through the movements of the dance, Victoria had only eyes for her him, and he kept his on her. They could have been alone on the dance floor for all they knew, but each touch, each movement was smooth and sure as if they had been partners forever. As they finished a particularly complicated movement, Victoria flushed as one particular piece of "wisdom" imparted at the ladies' party flashed in her head, that a man's skill on the dance floor could often be translated into his ability to please in the bedroom. Happily, the exertion of the dance could hide her sudden embarrassment, especially when she spied the little half smile on Diego's lips that made her suspect that he was thinking something rather similar.

Eventually after the first few dances, Victoria began noticing some of what was going on around them, especially the choice of targets of a couple of young ladies armed with cascarones. Diego's cousin Lucretia sneaked up on his friend Ernesto and caught him by surprise, but then after pretending to be offended, he asked her to dance. Victoria was more surprised to see Alicia's sister Teresa break one on Felipe's head. She hadn't really thought Teresa had paid much attention to him, but then she had been caught up in the wedding preparations lately and hadn't had much time to notice anything else, and the two of them were about the same age. Unfortunately, she lost sight of them in the crowd and had no idea what happened next.

She also noticed how popular Mateo was with the children. He had been the one controlling the rope on the piñata making sure they could all get a good wack at it before breaking, and now he was letting himself be pelted with their cascarones. He really was the epitome of the gentle giant, though Diego had told her that if anyone was threatened in his vicinity especially if they were young or otherwise vulnerable, that the threatener had best be prepared to run as Mateo was anything but gentle in dealing with violent characters.

After several more dances and a break for some food followed by the guests getting involved in the many other activities available, Diego took a moment to lean down and whisper in Victoria's ear, "I don't think that they're going to miss us now."

Taking in the scene Victoria nodded her head, hoping that no one would be paying attention as they began a somewhat circuitous route towards the house. Of course, they didn't manage to slip away entirely unnoticed as they were forced to speak with the occasional person, but no one seemed to particularly care in what direction they were heading. There was one awkward moment as they nearly surprised Sebastian and Isabel in an amorous embrace in a half hidden alcove just inside the garden. Diego merely put a finger to his lips and pulled her in another direction. He really did know all the more obscure ways around the hacienda, as he helped her through the window into his room, which he then shuttered and barred before going to check the door was locked. Even then Victoria had to suppress a giggle as he carefully checked the room..

"I wouldn't put it past Teo or Ernesto or even your brothers to plan some kind of prank on us," he said.

_That was very true,_ Victoria thought. "Alone at last?" she said, as he finished his perusal to stand in the middle of the room..

"Yes, at last," Diego said, then as if galvanized into action he moved to her, sweeping her up into his arms and spinning with her in the enthusiasm of the moment.

Victoria laughed joyfully. When he put her down, she said, "You almost look like you're ready to sing or... recite more poetry."

Diego smiled. "Is that a request?" he asked with a rakish grin. "Because if it is, I do have a bit of John Donne's verses on my mind, that I've been saving for just such an occasion: 'Licence my roving hands, and let them go, before, behind, between, above, below.'" He let his hands wander as he spoke. "But for our more immediate future, I think these lines speak best," he said in a soft and husky voice, "'Full nakedness! All joys are due to thee, as souls unbodied, bodies uncloth'd must be, to taste whole joys.' And Victoria, I am very ready for us to taste whole joys, are you?"

"Very ready indeed," she replied.

He picked her up again, crossed the room and gently placed her on the bed and eased himself down next to her. Slowly, their lips met, brushing lightly against each other before they kissed deeply, more so than ever before.

At length, their lips parted and their eyes met. "I love you," Victoria said. She gently brushed his face with her fingers. "Don Diego," she added teasingly.

Diego smiled back at her. "I love you… Doña Victoria."

They kissed again and months of longing, wishing, dreaming, and waiting came to a beautiful end.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now I've ended my quite altered third season with the wedding of Victoria and Diego. 
> 
> I haven't done anything with dreams lately, but I figured that the night before the wedding could inspire a nightmare or two, and I decided it was Victoria's turn. And despite Victoria and Diego's anxieties I was never going to have any heavy drama interfering with this day. No more than the usual things that can come up on a wedding day and at a party so big with so much alcohol flowing. 
> 
> The John Donne poem quoted near the end is "To His Mistress Going to Bed."
> 
> Having to introduce so many new members of Diego's family was a challenge, and to ease that burden a bit, I based the personalities on characters from other fandoms, though I don't believe there's any perfect one to one correlation for any of them, so hopefully it's not too obvious, though I definitely award bonus points to anyone who can recognize the influences. Teo might show the most signs of his origins though he's actual an amalgam of two similarly named characters in two other universes (I mean the characters have similar names which are neither anything close to Teo), both of whom have a tendency to fall in love rather easily.
> 
> Next Up: Season 4 will begin with "Like Father, Like Son."


	34. Topsy Turvy (Like Father, Like Son) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month after the wedding, a bump on the head sends Don Alejandro off in a dangerous disguise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Like Father, Like Son" was written by Tim Minear. 
> 
> Here we go the beginning of Diego and Victoria's life as a married couple, and I enter the awkward period of trying to describe a happy marriage while not explicitly describing what they're getting up to in the privacy of their bedroom.
> 
> Also this episode proved to be a bit of a challenge to work out, and thus I ended up rearranging some things and changing De Soto's motivations and behavior a bit, which I probably shouldn't bother pointing out considering this is an AU.

"Where are you going, Victoria?" Diego asked, sleepily tightening his arm around her as she tried slipping out of bed. He was still not a morning person, while Victoria certainly was, but he really didn't mind waking up with the most beautiful woman in the world in his— their— bed, and so far early waking had not yet translated to early bed leaving.

"I promised Sgt. Mendoza that I'd make tamales for him after we returned, and I really should check on the tavern," she said, though it sounded as if the idea was starting to lose some of its appeal, and he was determined to do his part to encourage her to remain right where she was.

"But surely you don't need to leave so early," he said as she relaxed back against him.

"I... I did promise..." Victoria stammered as Diego nuzzled her neck. He'd spent the last month learning her weak spots, and he intended to exploit them. "Mmm," she murmured as he let his hands started wandering. "And... I..." she turned over to let her hands do some roving of their own, "I suppose lunch would be soon enough."

~Z~Z~Z~

After having a very late breakfast and a brief greeting to his father who was taking some time to reread _Don Quixote_ , Diego walked with Victoria to the stables.

"Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" Diego asked.

"I'm sure if you do, I won't get any work done," she said, kissing him. "Just give me enough time to get the tamales cooked. You can check on your lab if... your father..."

"I suppose I could. I haven't done much lately in the... lab," he said, wrapping his arm around her.

"I've been distracting you," Victoria said.

Diego leaned down to kiss her. "I don't consider any of our time together this past month as a distraction; that implies that there are other more important things than you."

"Well, there are other things we need to tend to," she said with a soft sigh.

"Unfortunately, yes, but at the moment they seem to be unnecessary impediments in our path."

"We still have siesta and the evening," Victoria said.

He smiled. "Yes, we do."

Diego gave her one more extremely thorough kiss, during which he tried to figure out how to change her mind about his accompanying her or keeping her at home with him, but Victoria with obvious reluctance pulled away before mounting Fortuna and heading towards the pueblo. With a sigh, Diego watched her leave his sight before heading back inside the hacienda to see how much longer his father intended to sit and read. However, he was somewhat surprised to see that the sala was empty, but that was nothing to his dismay when he saw that the fireplace wall was open.

With a sense of panic, he slipped through, just remembering to close the door behind him before racing downstairs. At a cursory glance the cave seemed much as usual, but then Diego realized that Toronado was gone. Another moment and he spotted his father's clothes hanging where his usually were and _Don Quixote_ lying open on the floor. Zorro's clothes were missing, though he was relieved to see that Sir Edmund's sword was still where it belonged though another of his swords (one that had belonged to his grandfather) was missing. A sinking feeling was rapidly spreading over him.

In his father's right mind, if he stumbled into the cave, he would have stayed there, waiting to confront his son, with either anger or disappointment, but it appeared that his father had put on Zorro's clothes and taken Zorro's horse to go and ride out. There was something not right about this. Looking around the floor near him, he spotted what looked like a light smearing of blood on a handkerchief that lay just under where his father's clothes hung. He then grabbed his father's clothes to check them. There was no blood on them that he could see. He turned back and looked more closely at the floor. He had disturbed the room, but it looked rather like someone had taken a fall.

He had a sudden flash back to Mendoza's amnesia where his personality changed. If his father had hit his head in the fall... He looked back at the title of the book and then where his missing clothes had hung. Panic returning, he headed upstairs. Please God above, let his father only be out trying to tilt at windmills.

~o~O~o~

Victoria was busy in the kitchens. The tavern had been fuller than expected, and she'd ended up cooking far more than she had planned in order to try to keep up. She reflected that her month of married life had made her soft as she was finding it more of a challenge than it should have been to get back into the rhythm of the work. And she'd had to send out Señor Calvillo to get some extra supplies to help, since he was the only one who could be spared from the kitchen.

She began to regret that notion when she finally left the kitchen and noticed Mendoza playing cards with two strangers.

"Mendoza!" she said. "How many times have I told you there is to be no gambling in this tavern. Is that any way to thank me for your tamales?"

"I... I ... must get back to work. Please forgive me," he said, getting up to go. "Con permiso."

Victoria looked at him in irritation before shifting the same gaze to the two strangers.

"We were just having some harmless fun, my pretty señorita," said the older of the two men.

Victoria wondered just how long it would take for Señor Calvillo to return, as at the moment she had little patience to deal with troublesome guests. "In the first place, Señor, gambling is not harmless fun," she said, letting her aggravation out as she gathered up the cards. "And in the second place, Mendoza doesn't earn enough, and he has the card sense of a turnip. And in the third place, it's señora, and don't even think in your wildest dreams that I could be your anything."

She stalked over to the bar, wishing that Diego would get there. Even in his peace loving persona, he had a calming effect on her if nothing else, and frankly, she was in no fit humor to remain much longer, but she could not justify leaving until Señor Calvillo returned at least.

And just to make her day even worse those two obnoxious strangers approached the bar.

Once again the older one addressed her. "Uh, señora, my brother and I, we just had a little wager..."

"Didn't I just explain to you that gambling was not..."

"Sí, sí, you told us," he said, "but you see, I have just bet him ten pesos that you would give me a kiss." He gestured to his mouth as he finished.

Victoria was both annoyed and disgusted. She should have stayed at home in bed with her husband. "Then I think you should pay him his ten pesos," she snapped, turning away. Why did so many men think they were irresistible to women? Or was it the idea of a challenge? Either way she had no intention of putting up with this. And where was Señor Calvillo? He should have been back by now.

She heard the man say, "We shall see," and then heard the shattering of glass.

Whirling back around, Victoria exclaimed, "Are you crazy?"

The man's brother pulled out a large knife turning towards the rest of the room, and Victoria watched as her customers abandoned the place like cowards. They had faced a siege of bandits yet they abandoned her to two crazy men. Well, she was not going to be cowed, and she had a weapon hidden in her pocket that she would use if she had to.

Another glass was broken, and then the old man grabbed her wrist, "Caution, Señora," he said. "Is all this worth one little kiss?"

Victoria braced herself to get to her knife, when she suddenly heard a noise from above.

"Filthy heathens!"

Looking up, Victoria saw what looked like Zorro, but something wasn't right; that wasn't Diego. "Zorro?"

"Remove your hands from the lady," the man dressed as Zorro said, as the old man yanked on her arm. "Or I'll remove them... from your wrists!"

The man jumped from the balcony to the chandelier, ending up hanging from it as it barely moved. Victoria was trying to figure who this strange Zorro was, as he seemed very familiar.

"Very peculiar," the man said as he hung almost stationary.

The two strangers rushed towards him, pulling their swords, and Victoria was momentarily too stunned to go for a weapon of her own. As he struggled with the chandelier, the false Zorro kicked at the men as they tried to stab him. After another moment, with a cry, the false Zorro dropped on top of the strangers, knocking them to the floor.

As he pushed himself up, the false Zorro turned towards her and shouted, "Victory!" He then approached the bar and taking her hand said, "Lady, are you injured?"

"No," Victoria managed to say, even as she struggled with the strange sense of familiarity she had with the false Zorro. She should know who he was.

"Then I dedicate this victory to thy radiance which has kindled my inspiration," he said.

Victoria had no time to react to his flowery sentiments before she saw that the two strangers had risen from the floor. She called, "Look out!"

The false Zorro spun around to face the strangers. After a brief exchange of words during which the masked man pulled out his sword while circling around the strangers, the older stranger said, "Let us see... if your skill matches your reputation."

Hesitating for a moment the false Zorro suddenly said, "Nay! I shall not blunt my sword against such unworthy opponents." He switched his sword from his right to his left before reaching under his cape and pulling out a whip. "Therefore... you shall feel the sting of my lash!"

Victoria was vaguely horrified by what happened next. When the masked man attempted to crack his whip at the strangers, it instead somehow got wrapped around the post behind him, pulling the false Zorro off balance just in time to get him out of the way of the older stranger's sword which ended up stuck in the same post the whip was attached to.

The fight itself ended up being awkward, and Victoria was worried for the false Zorro as he seemed somewhat oblivious. She called out again to warn him when the older man managed to get his sword loose from the post. And it seemed more luck than any cunning that had the man's strike miss the false Zorro and instead hit the other man. And as she wondered what she could or should do, she once again wished she knew where Diego was.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego had been riding out for some time, looking for Toronado without much luck until he neared the pueblo and found him wandering just outside, very much alone. This was not good. He didn't know what his father was up to but being dressed as Zorro was bad enough, though he'd already come up with an explanation if anyone saw him. However, the excuse would not work if he was caught with Toronado. In two minds about sending Toronado away, Diego finally felt that the ability to more completely disassociate his father from Zorro was more important than having the fastest horse to facilitate an escape, especially as he had no idea where his father was, though he had a bad feeling he knew as he could hear the sounds of commotion in the pueblo. So he sent Toronado away and headed into town in a hurry, to find his worst fears being realized as he saw De Soto and the lancers getting into position outside the tavern.

Almost panicked but trying to keep cool, Diego shouted, "Alcalde! What's going on?" He hurriedly dismounted and approached the men.

As usual, De Soto was rather dismissive in his response. "Not now, Diego."

However, also as usual Mendoza was far more helpful. "The brothers Esteban, they're inside."

Diego felt a strange mixture of relief and trepidation. "The brothers Esteban? Then it's not..." He broke off quickly before he could finish the thought and then had the horrible realization that Victoria was nowhere in sight. "Where's Victoria?"

Mendoza hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "Doña Victoria's also inside."

Fear settling in, Diego started moving towards the tavern. "The brothers Esteban are ruthless cutthroats..."

He didn't get far before De Soto grabbed his arm. "Diego, this isn't a surprise party, it's an ambush." He shoved him back. "Please stand clear!"

Before he could do anything, a man came rolling out of the tavern. When he unsteadily scrambled to his feet and turned back towards the tavern, a Z was clearly visible on the seat of his trousers. The nervous crowd laughed as the man fell back down to the ground.

De Soto, now distracted by the thoughts of capturing Zorro, forgot about the Esteban brothers and instead focused on his regular nemesis. "Zorro! He's inside! And he's surrounded! What luck! Lancers!"

Diego almost wished he had not sent Toronado back to the cave, but then if his father did try making an escape, Esperanza would be fast and easy to control if his father had sense enough to take her. In any event, he would do his best to protect his father, but first he'd have to know what kind of trouble he was in, so he followed the crowd to the tavern.

What he saw gave him no comfort as there next to Victoria his father stood in Zorro's mask with his grandfather's sword pointed at the other Esteban brother, just waiting as he was surrounded by lancers. Unsure what to do, he stood still until Victoria ran into his arms. He held her close and quietly asked if she was all right. She nodded slightly, looking confused.

"El Zorro," De Soto said as he pulled the sword from the masked man's hand. "At last it ends. The moment I've been waiting for... The moment that I've dreamed of since I came to this pueblo de Los Angeles." He grabbed the hat. "And now everyone shall see the face beneath the mask." He pulled the mask off to reveal Don Alejandro.

Diego worked to make himself look as shocked as everyone else at the revelation. Victoria collapsed back against him as if struck, though he got the impression she was exaggerating for the crowd and to give him an excuse to pay more attention to her than the unmasking.

Mendoza was the first to speak. "Don Alejandro! Can't be! We've seen Zorro many times. We've stood right next to him and Don Alejandro's been right beside us."

Diego put up a quiet prayer of thanks that Mendoza was so quick to bring this up, as he didn't want to be the one to start the defense of his father.

He was shocked when De Soto replied, "It's a testament to his cleverness, Sergeant. The man is a master of deceit. He wears the mask. He wears the cape and he interferes where he is not wanted. And now, I've got him. I've won. I've caught Zorro!"

Don Alejandro stood impassive before saying, "Do your worst... Oh ye of the woeful countenance."

De Soto gestured for the men to take him and the Estebans away. While the lancers were quick to grab the Estebans, no one seemed to want to approach Don Alejandro. With a sigh, Mendoza stepped up to say, "This way, Don Alejandro."

Without a word, head held high, Don Alejandro walked with slow dignity out of the tavern; De Soto followed with an insufferable air of triumph. Diego watched him go with trepidation, then glanced down at Victoria, before carrying her to the parlor and setting her down on the couch where she sat up quickly.

"Tell me what happened," Diego said.

Swiftly, she told him everything from the gambling up to his father knocking the elder Esteban out the door of the tavern.

When she finished, Victoria said, "Diego, you really should go and see about your father," she said quietly. "I can wait for an explanation about how your father ended up thinking he was Zorro, much less dressed as him."

"I will, and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure how it all came about," he said. "But stay here and see what the mood of the people is. I have a feeling we might need it."

She nodded her head and gave him a quick kiss before sending him back out the door. Diego worked his way past the milling crowd to head over to the jail. Mendoza was just leaving when he got there.

"Sergeant, I want to see my father," he said without preamble.

Mendoza looked nervous. "I'm not sure about that..."

"Please," Diego said. "My father has not been well. I need to examine him."

"Well, all right," Mendoza said. "I mean this is all crazy. Everyone knows that Don Alejandro can't possibly be Zorro. I mean I've seen them both. A lot of us have seen them both."

"I know. I'm afraid my father's a little out of his head right now."

"You mean like that time when I don't remember anything but apparently acted crazy," Mendoza said. "That would explain why he kept calling me Sancho Panza. I don't know any Sancho Panza."

"He's a character from _Don Quixote,_ " Diego said. "I'm afraid my father has somehow gotten Don Quixote and Zorro all mixed up in his head. Now can I see him?"

Mendoza nodded and led Diego inside, where he saw a couple of lancers standing guard. That did not bode well for an escape, if it came down to it. Surely De Soto couldn't really believe that his father was Zorro. He shook away his worries about De Soto in order to focus on his father who was sitting calmly in his cell.

"Ah, Sancho, back already," he said. "Though I do not think it is dark."

"Ah, no, Don Alejandro. I've brought you a visitor," Mendoza said. "Your son wants to see you."

"Son... son..." Don Alejandro looked at Diego confused. "Nicholas?"

"No, father, Diego," Diego said as Mendoza unlocked the cell. "I've come to see to you. You shouldn't have left home after hitting your head." He was certain it had to be a blow to the head, and the lump he found when he examined his father's head confirmed his supposition.

"How could I remain at home when evil men must be fought?" Don Alejandro asked, turning his head to glare at the two men in the other cell.

"Father, you're a little confused right now," Diego said.

"Confused, Nicholas? Of course, I am not confused," Don Alejandro declaimed. "Zorro will soon be free to fight again for the honor of the lovely Dulcinea. Have no fear for me."

"I will try," Diego said, before turning to Mendoza. "Sergeant, I'd best see the alcalde now."

"Of course, Don Diego," Mendoza said.

As Diego left, he could hear his father starting up a rousing speech on the perils that evil doers would face from the mighty Zorro.

Going the long way around so as not to have to immediately explain that he'd been in the jail to see his father, Diego found De Soto sitting at his desk going through some papers when he entered.

"Alcalde," Diego said, once De Soto had looked up and acknowledged his presence, "you cannot possibly believe that my father is Zorro. He's been visible too often when Zorro has appeared. I can call half the pueblo to testify on his behalf, including yourself."

"Then how do you explain his behavior and disguise?" De Soto said, his cool tone making Diego suspect that he wasn't so convinced as he had appeared to be, especially as De Soto ignored Diego's inclusion of him among the witnesses.

"I believe it's the product of a blow to his head, not unlike the one that had Sgt Mendoza believing he was a bandit named Martinez," Diego said, glad to be given the opportunity to give the explanation he'd devised, reasonably sure that the first part was true, before launching into the part made up out of whole cloth. "He'd banged his head on the fireplace today, and I ended up spending a good part of this morning looking for him, after I left him in his room while I went to make up some medicine for his headache, and then found him gone when I returned."

De Soto looked very skeptical. "So you're saying that your father after having gotten a blow to his head had time to somehow make up a Zorro costume, put it on, and then ride out to the pueblo all while you were stirring up medicine."

"Not exactly," Diego said, going for the part that he hoped would pass muster. "I do know that some time ago my father had a replica of Zorro's costume made. I believe it was around the time that an imposter Zorro was causing trouble in the pueblo. I think he wanted to prove how easy it would be for someone else to duplicate Zorro's look, but he never had a reason to use it— until today. I believe that in his confused state he found the costume and somehow conflated it with _Don Quixote_ , to judge from what he said when unmasked and what Mendoza told me he called him earlier. Sancho Panza? My father's not in his right mind, and you know it." Diego looked at the sword that lay on the desk. It bore only the most superficial of resemblances to Zorro's sword. "This sword is my grandfather's, certainly not Zorro's." He again thanked whatever it was that had drawn Don Alejandro's eye to the family sword rather than Sir Edmund's blade.

The calculating gleam in De Soto's eye disturbed Diego. "But still, Diego, you must admit that this is not a simple matter of your father running about tilting at windmills. He's claiming to be a notorious bandit."

"While not in his right mind!" Diego insisted.

"So you say," De Soto said. "But my hands are tied here. I cannot simply let him go. And unless Zorro shows himself, I'm afraid I will have to make an example of Don Alejandro."

"Why?" Diego asked, then more cynically. "Actually this is yet another trap for Zorro, isn't it?"

"I'd hardly say that," De Soto said, as he dropped the pretense that he truly believed that Don Alejandro was Zorro. "However, either Zorro is man enough to try to rescue your father or he's spiteful enough to let a man be put in the pillory or flogged for having the temerity to impersonate him. Either way, I've got him."

"I have no intention of letting you use my father as bait for your trap," Diego said.

"You really have no choice in the matter. Your father has committed a crime in his right mind or not."

"Then he deserves a trial."

"Not here and now!" De Soto shouted. "Tomorrow, unless there is some notable change in circumstances, he will be put in the pillory for three days."

"We'll see about that," Diego said, turning to storm out of the office and straight back to the tavern, where Victoria was waiting for him, and he quickly led her out into her back garden where they would be more sure of not being overheard.

"What's happening?" Victoria asked, seeing Diego's faced. "He's not planning to hang him, is he?"

"No," Diego said, "but what he's planned might be nearly as bad considering the possible state of Father's health." Quickly he told her all that passed between them including the explanation he'd given for his father having a "replica" of Zorro's costume.

"I see," Victoria said. "How bad do you think your father is?"

"I don't know," Diego said. "I mean he's definitely delusional, but I'm not sure how long it's going to last or anything. And at the moment, I'm not sure whether his coming out of it would be a good thing or a bad thing, as I think you or I might need to 'remind' him of how he got hold of that duplicate costume. Actually, it would probably need to be you, as I think I need to get some additional help in case De Soto insists on carrying out the punishment."

"I understand," she said. "The people seem to be stirred up more than usual."

"A pity they weren't more stirred up when the Esteban brothers started causing trouble," he bit out. "They just left you with them."

"I could have taken care of them, even without your father," she said.

"I simply can't understand how sometimes they can be so brave and other times so easily intimidated."

"It's just the way people are," Victoria said. "In any event, Señor Calvillo is back now, and he'll be watching over the tavern."

"I need to send someone to get Dr. Hernandez, and then I'll make preparations to get to Father's lawyer in Santa Barbara. I'll see if Miguel can go. I believe he would do anything to help spare my father pain."

"I wish Felipe was here," Victoria said.

"So do I, but my aunt and uncle had only made it as far back north as San Diego in the last letter, and from what I understand, Sebastian and Isabel have encouraged them to lengthen their stay. But even if they managed to start north since then, they still are unlikely to get here for another week if not two. I know my uncle was in no hurry, and Felipe does seem to have been enjoying himself. Which is good, but it means we can't rely on them for help."

"I know," Victoria said. "I'll stay here in town, since you'll be leaving."

"I hate this," he said. "We haven't had to be apart since we've married."

"I hate it as well, but obviously your father's life is more important."

"Yes, and we're going to have to be careful to get him out of this mess," Diego said.

"I wish it was as simple as Zorro making an appearance and running."

"So do I, but really I think the alcalde will need something a little more firm, and we need to arrange a reminder of some kind that other eyes are watching him."

"And how do we do all that?" Victoria asked.

"At the moment, I have no idea," Diego said. "I'd better go and get things into motion."

"And I'll stay here and see what I can stir up before visiting your father later today."

Diego pulled her to him and gave her a kiss that would leave her in no doubt how much he would miss her before heading back inside the tavern to leave through the front door. He spent a few moments staring around the plaza trying to get a good feeling of what he could do. He saw several lancers spread around the front of the cuartel, clearly on guard duty. He suspected that De Soto had more scattered in and around the cuartel and decided to take a casual walk in that direction before heading to Dr. Hernandez's office to see if the doctor was back yet. As he passed the gates, he was surprised to see Padre Benites walking out, accompanied an unfamiliar priest.

He took the time to greet the padre.

"Ah, Don Diego, we have just finished visiting your father," Padre Benites said. "Excuse me, I don't think you have met Padre Dominguez, have you?"

"No, I haven't," Diego said. "It's a pleasure. Well, it would be one under better circumstances."

"I understand," Padre Dominguez said, in a rich deep voice. "Your father seems to have suffered some kind of blow to his head. I've seen it affect men's personalities before but not to such an extent."

"You have medical experience?" Diego asked.

"By necessity. Often where I've served there have been few with any medical knowledge, and I've been forced to learn what I can, where I can."

"It is good you are here. Our doctor travels quite a bit, and I am afraid we might not be able to get him back here soon enough if there's a problem with my father."

"I and my fellow travelers will be here for another week, so I will be glad to do what I can until your doctor returns."

"That is a relief as I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave to see about getting my father's attorney here to help untangle this mess," Diego said.

"Yes, Diego has also had some medical training," Padre Benites told Padre Dominguez. "He too has had to step in when there has been no other medical practioner around. It is unfortunate that we do not have an adequate number of doctors for the population of California. And even more unfortunate that many of them refuse to learn new methods of medicine as new discoveries are made."

"And also, that often the native people's knowledge of the healing properties of the indigenous plants is ignored as well," Padre Dominguez said, before turning to Diego. "I am a great believer in taking knowledge where I find it, no matter the source."

"I think that is wise," Diego said. "Now that I know that there's at least one person available to see to my father, I really must hurry home and make arrangements to travel before it gets too late."

"Yes, of course," Padre Benites said. "Don't worry. Your father will be well looked after as well as being in our prayers."

"Thank you," Diego said.

~Z~Z~Z~

Once he returned to the hacienda, Diego found Miguel and told him what he needed him to do.

"Go as quickly and quietly as possible to Don Luis Cristobal in Santa Barbara. Tell him that my father is suffering from a temporary mental affliction thinking that he's Zorro and that he's in danger of the law because of it. Do what you can to get him to come back with you as soon as possible. Tell him we'll compensate for his time and trouble even if things somehow manage to get resolved before he gets here, but get him to come all the same. Also, if you need someone to go with you pick one who'll keep quiet about my absence. I plan to head south to see if Uncle Horacio or Great Aunt Catalina will be able to help, but I don't want anyone to know that I'm going in another direction."

"I understand, Don Diego," Miguel said. "You can trust me and Joaquin. We'll make the trip and as far as anyone will know, you'll be with us."

"Thank you," Diego said. "How long do you think it will take for you and Joaquin to be ready?"

"Give us half an hour, Don Diego, and we'll be ready to go," Miguel said.

"Excellent. I'll get my things together, and we'll leave at the same time and separate once we're out of sight of the hacienda," Diego said, before turning and heading back inside.

He immediately went to Maria to see that they had some food to start the journey (she always had something for any men who would be out riding for the day) before heading to his room and throwing together enough to convince the men that he was actually going to where he said he was going.

Everything was ready very quickly and within an hour, Diego was parting ways with Miguel and Joaquin and heading back south to the cave. Knowing that he could not return to town as Zorro until after dark, Diego took the time he had to make needed preparations for what was ahead. Unfortunately, he wasn't at all sure exactly what that was going to be.

~Z~Z~Z~

The tavern was buzzing with people, all talking about the extraordinary events of the day, and debating whether or not Don Alejandro really was Zorro.

"Of course, he's not Zorro," Victoria said to whatever person was suggesting it. "We've seen him at the same time as Zorro too many times. He's simply ill. You know what that can do to a man. And it's not right that our alcalde is holding a sick man in his jail when even in his illness he managed to take down two notorious villains."

She repeated this often during the day, trying to turn the people's thoughts to this injustice, hoping to stir them into some sort of action rather than making them think "Zorro will come and fix it," though she suspected that that was precisely what was going to happen. But having seen for herself the guards that De Soto had around the jail, Victoria figured that a lively crowd was going to be a necessary diversion for whatever plan he had come up with. Still if Zorro was ever going to be able to retire, the people would need to stand up for themselves, and she was going to be the quickest to encourage it.

It was late afternoon before she was able to get in to see her father-in-law, as De Soto was being ridiculous, complaining about the number of visitors that he had already had that day, including Diego and strange padres, among others. Victoria merely rolled her eyes and reminded him that she was family. She really felt that he was just wanting to assert himself with someone, though as they entered, Mendoza indicated that what De Soto mostly wanted was to punish the Esteban brothers who were loudly complaining about Don Alejandro.

Victoria saw the two men in the corner of their cell holding their ears as Don Alejandro was singing in his own cell. The moment they saw Mendoza, they immediately called out, "Shut him up," and they were ignored, as Victoria went to Don Alejandro's cell.

"Father," she said softly, though she still was not used to calling him that, "are you all right?"

Don Alejandro only appearing to half hear her came to the cell bars. "Ah, my dear, to look at your radiance is to be rejuvenated by the sun itself."

She tried not to shake her head at his over-exuberant compliment. "Father, how are you feeling?"

"Ashamed that I have failed my lady by succumbing to the dark powers. But be of good cheer, Antonia. I shall prevail."

"I'm Victoria," she said, "your son Diego's wife. Please, try to remember..."

"Oh, I do remember. All of it, the glorious quest, in the name of my lady. Will you tell her of my deeds if I am unable?"

"What lady?" she asked.

"My lady Dulcinea, of course," he said.

Victoria raised a brow as it took her a moment to make the proper connection from the name of Don Alejandro's horse to that of Don Quixote's imaginary love.

"Of course I will, Father," Victoria said. "But I need you to concentrate on getting well. Diego has told the alcalde about how you got the copy of Zorro's outfit, even if you can't remember that now, but he's still insisting on punishing you. Please try to remember."

"Ah, you believe I am under an enchantment, my dear. I can hardly say if it is anything other than the enchantment of my lady, but do not fear, for Zorro always prevails in the end. Is it not so?"

Victoria realized that she was doing no good and simply said, "Of course, Father. Zorro will prevail."

~Z~Z~Z~

Zorro slipped into the pueblo very quietly, finding his way to the roof of the chapel armed with his night vision glass, though it wasn't of much use in observing the cuartel which was disturbingly well lit and he could see lancers set all around it. De Soto was clearly taking no chances. He wanted to force Zorro to surrender. However, Zorro wasn't ready to leave just yet. He needed to form a plan and he was invisible from his location so he took his time and watched though he wasn't sure what he was looking for. After a time he saw a couple of priests exit the cuartel. One was Padre Dominguez; the other was unknown to him. He wondered that he hadn't asked how many priests were visiting. Obviously, at least two, possibly more, and De Soto was in many ways an oblivious man. He would very likely pay very little attention to the priests. He'd see the robes and ignore the man. Was that not part of why Zorro's disguise worked? People only looked at the outfit and the attitude and not really the man underneath the mask.

Moving over the roof, he looked down into the garden and saw Padre Benites and a couple of other unknown priests apparently conferring over something, and they were soon joined by Padre Dominguez and the other strange priest. Zorro took note that two of the men were quite tall, which was all to the good. De Soto would be unlikely to notice another tall priest. As the pieces of his plan fell into place, Zorro crept down and worked his way toward the newspaper office.

Considering how well he knew the place, it was easy to get inside without anyone being the wiser. Making it over to the desk, he removed some paper and his pen and ink before carrying them and a candle over to the darkest corner of the room. Lighting the candle, he set to work to write Victoria a note that would tell her enough of what he needed from her while seeming relatively innocuous to anyone else who might stumble on it. After all, what could be more natural than a young bridegroom writing his bride a letter when forced to go away. It took longer than he liked to be satisfied that he had not said either too little or too much, but then everything was very quiet when he finally sealed the letter and crept back out.

He quietly slipped back into the tavern kitchen, the way he'd gone in any number of times before. However, this time it seemed both familiar and strange as if he shouldn't be here. He'd been careful to make sure that the tavern was quiet and no one was in either the kitchen or the main room, as he didn't want to bring any particular suspicion on his wife, as things were bad enough, and he didn't want De Soto getting any ideas.

He slipped into the pantry and found the place where Victoria concealed her journal and took a moment to check it to see if she'd left any message to him. He lit another candle and saw that she'd written down what happened when she visited his father earlier. So he was still in a befuddled state but otherwise no change. Zorro slipped his own letter into the book and replaced it back in its hiding place, before blowing out the candle and returning to the kitchen. He moved one of Victoria's pans to the table and placed it so the handle was pointing towards the pantry. That should be subtle enough, but get his point across.

_That takes care of the message_ , he thought and looked down at his clothes. _Now, for a different sort of disguise._

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was the first up in the morning and headed straight for the kitchen once she was dressed. The moved pan sent her checking her journal where she found Diego's letter and opened it straight away.

_Dearest Victoria,_

_I regret very much the business that takes me away from you, and I wish that you could have accompanied me, but I know you agree that one of us should remain to see to my father's health and safety. I am not sure whether the law or the influence of family will help, but I must try, and I don't expect that I will be able to return for a couple of days. By then matters may be either resolved or worse, and I trust you to do what you can. I believe that if nothing else, public opinion may help deter or shorten any punishment, and if anyone can stir up people, I believe you can. Please see if you can get as strong a protest as possible before any punishment takes place, but if nothing else, let our alcalde feel the pueblo's disapprobation as strongly as possible if he attempts to carry out his threats. Also, if possible see that my father has as much spiritual comfort as possible. In his state, I am not sure who might provide the best comfort to him._

_I will not be happy until once again I am home and in your arms._

_With all my love,_

_Diego_

Victoria considered the words carefully. There was nothing much more than what he had said to her before he "left." However, his emphasizing both public protest and spiritual comfort told her enough to figure out that for some reason he wanted her to encourage visits from more than one priest, and that if nothing else she needed to have a large crowd protesting when De Soto prepared to administer his punishment to Don Alejandro. Obviously these were meant to act as some kind of distraction for Zorro, if he needed one. Well, if that's what he wanted that was what he would get.

~Z~Z~Z~

Over a day later, Victoria was spitting mad and she had half the pueblo with her. De Soto was being absolutely unreasonable. She knew— absolutely knew— that he did _not_ believe that Don Alejandro was really Zorro, and yet in his pompous overly smug way, he still pretended it was a possibility.

"If he's not, let the real Zorro prove it," De Soto had said. "Surely he should have come forward by now."

In aggravation, Victoria banned him and the lancers from her tavern until after Don Alejandro was released. Not that the lancers were currently all that eager to go as they were being made nervous by the increasing protesting crowds, half of which seemed to think that Don Alejandro _was_ Zorro, while the other half believed he was _not_. Nevertheless, they were all protesting for his release.

Victoria had gone to the chapel and asked Padre Benites if he and his fellow priests would take it in turns to sit with Don Alejandro in the hopes that somehow they could get through his delusions. They were willing enough, especially Padres Dominguez and Marrón who both had some medical training the former a bit more than the latter, but Marrón told her that he had experience with people suffering delirium. That had given Victoria some comfort, especially since when she saw her father-in-law again, he appeared no different, still apparently considering her his niece and Mendoza his squire.

She had had no further word from Diego, though she had not really expected it. However, she missed him all the more for realizing that if she really wanted to see him there was a very good chance she would have been able to find him in the cave, yet she did not dare return to the hacienda. She didn't want to rouse any form of suspicion in her behavior; since with her husband gone and her father-in-law in jail, it wouldn't make sense for her to leave the pueblo. If there was anything that needed her attention at the hacienda someone would come to get her.

As the time approached for Don Alejandro's punishment, Victoria was starting to get anxious and made her way to the front of the crowd protesting in front of the cuartel. De Soto was looking rather smug, though she hoped he was feeling at least a little nervousness of his own. She had heard privately from Mendoza that the alcalde felt sure that Zorro would be too cautious to try to free Don Alejandro before the punishment started and since this was not a capital punishment, he would wait until he felt the lancers' guards were down before striking. Mendoza shrugged at the notion, but said that orders were orders.

Victoria did not believe any such thing, so she made sure her protests were loud and clear as Don Alejandro was led out of the cuartel to the elevated pillory that De Soto had hung from the gallows (to make it more difficult for Zorro, according to Mendoza). Most of the lancers were busy trying to keep back the crowd which was getting more and more boisterous.

Standing on the platform, De Soto himself seemed to be having his attention split between his prisoner and the crowd. Victoria saw a hooded priest walking up the steps behind Don Alejandro. Tall, possibly Padre Dominguez but she doubted it. No, definitely, it could only be one man. Deliberately she shifted her gaze to De Soto, almost willing him to continue ignoring the priest.

Happily, he was still too distracted by the crowds to pay much attention to any one thing, and since the crowd was doing quite a good job of making noise on its own, Victoria worked her way closer to the gallows, on the off chance that she might do something to help if necessary. The lancers didn't really pay her any attention, for which she was grateful. She managed to get close enough that she was practically in the shadow of the gallows.

De Soto, after some quiet words to Don Alejandro that even she couldn't hear, turned to face the crowd. "People of Los Angeles," he declaimed. "This is a town where justice must be swift and sure." He faltered as loud shouts and angry protests drowned him out before he managed to speak again. "We cannot let masked men usurp the processes of law, regardless of their age, position, or health." He pointed at Don Alejandro. "Whether he is indeed Zorro or not, ill or not, Don Alejandro must stand before the law for his acting outside of the law." There was a sudden brief respite before the yelling started again as the crowd tried parsing out De Soto's statement. De Soto stumbled on in through the silence. "However, justice can be tempered with mercy. Though no other Zorro has stepped forward to show himself and there is no proof that this man is not he..." There was more protesting, and Victoria almost threw something at De Soto for such a blatant falsehood. There was plenty of proof and anyone with sense knew it. De Soto raised his hands. "However... because there is some small doubt on the matter... Don Alejandro will not be punished to the full extent of the law as Zorro, but punished he must be. Hence..." De Soto slapped one hand back onto the pillory. "Hence, he is sentenced to three days in the pillory, unless..."

"Unless what, alcalde?" Zorro's voice came loud and clear from behind De Soto.

De Soto whirled around as Zorro pulled the hood off his head and knocked the two lancers next to Don Alejandro off the platform.

"Zorro!" De Soto yelled, lunging towards him but instead found himself falling into Don Alejandro who had imposed himself between them. Before Zorro could separate them, Don Alejandro slipped backwards falling off the gallows while De Soto landed face down half on and off the structure.

Victoria ran forward to Don Alejandro, where he lay unconscious but seemed otherwise fine. She looked up to see Zorro punch De Soto and then half drag him to where the pillory hung open.

"If it was good enough for our previous alcalde, it is certainly good enough for this one," Zorro said to the crowd with a grin as he forced the groggy De Soto into the pillory, pulled up the collar and quickly fastened the padlock, twisting the key and taking it out.

She turned as she heard Mendoza call nervously from his position on the ground. "I hope you're not planning on me swallowing the key again, Zorro," he said.

"Not this time, Sergeant," Zorro said. "However...." Victoria watched as Zorro pulled back his arm let a gleaming bit of metal over the back of the cuartel. "I believe that our alcalde deserves a little time to consider his thoughts, while I take Don Alejandro home where he can be properly looked after."

Shaking off his confusion, De Soto started shouting as the lancers finally tried scrambling through the crowds, ignoring Zorro as he hoisted an unconscious Don Alejandro over his shoulder and carried him to Toronado. Victoria watched until Zorro was out of sight before returning to the tavern, where Señor Calvillo was standing just outside the door. "I'm returning home to look after Don Alejandro," she said. "Try to keep things peaceful here and send me word once our alcalde gets himself loose."

It took some time for her to get past the crowds and the lancers who were still looking for the missing key, though someone had managed to detach the pillory so that the trapped De Soto could at least move out of the public eye. Victoria took comfort in the fact that the alcalde seemed to have lost interest in Don Alejandro, and the crowd itself was just beginning to disperse as she made her way out of town.

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's ridiculous that Victoria takes so long to recognize Don Alejandro, but that's part of the issue with masked hero stories, the reader/watcher has to be able to suspend their disbelief that no one immediately recognizes the man under the mask. However, I hope I compensated for that by the ease with which she picks up her husband's clues. I know I tend to write Victoria as being a bit cleverer than the series let her be, but I want her to be a help and partner rather than a hindrance to Diego in his work. 
> 
> I have to say that I was really annoyed with the original episode where De Soto apparently genuinely believed Don Alejandro was Zorro despite the fact that many times when Zorro appeared Don Alejandro was standing if not next to him in plain sight. I know the man was quick to judgement, and he'd always go for the most obvious conclusion, but really this was a stretch even for him. I think it would have helped if there had been another case like "Silk Purses & Sow's Ears" where a government official was prodding him along. 
> 
> However, in any event, what barely passed in the original episode would not work for this one, and I went for the other, and I feel better, cliche solution and that is that De Soto decided to use this as an opportunity to either trap or discredit Zorro. To be honest, I think that's the route they should have gone in the original, rather than make De Soto a delusional fool. In any event, I thought it would be better to go for a public flogging rather than a hanging. Still very harsh and with the potential of killing an already injured Don Alejandro, so as to justify the public protests. But here I decided it would be best to go with the pillory (during the first draft I used the term stocks, but I had the feeling that wasn't the correct term for what I was actually using and checked to discover that what I was thinking of was the pillory instead). 
> 
> The thought of having De Soto locked in the pillory like Ramone was in "The Newcomers" was a sudden flash while I was stumped on how to proceed with the modified punishment and rescue, and I was struck with the thought of Mendoza wondering if he'd have to swallow the key again. 
> 
> Also, not having read Don Quixote, and having only vague memories of Man of La Mancha, it was a little difficult for me to figure out where Diego would fit into Don Alejandro's delusions. After some basic searching of character lists, I finally picked Nicholas the barber & surgeon who was a friend who tried to cure Don Quixote, as the most likely choice, but that really is the product of about 5 minutes googling and no actual proper familiarity with the story which would allow me to incorporate references better (sadly, I wasn't eager enough to actually try working in reading Don Quixote to improve this tale; in this case it was either read or write and I chose to write). And considering that Victoria is now Don Alejandro's daughter in law, I decided to switch her in Don Alejandro's delusions from Dulcinea to Quixote's niece Antonia, just to cut down the slightly disturbing romantic language, which was bad enough yet understandable when Victoria was Zorro's love interest but would be so much more ick inducing if directed towards his son's wife. So forgive the rather weak references here. Maybe someday I'll actually manage to read Don Quixote and come back to improve this, but it would most definitely be after this entire epic is finished. 
> 
> Another thing that struck me was the strange priest/friar Diego sees that inspires the idea— I mean it clearly is not Padre Benites (too tall)— but we never really see any other priests around, not that that means that they aren't there, of course. However, De Soto doesn't really pay much attention to either him or Zorro in disguise, so I thought it would probably be easiest for him to not pay attention if there were a number of strange priests visiting the area, so I had several stopping in on their way to another destination. And I thought it would also be convenient if at least one had some medical learning. 
> 
> And of course, considering the other changes in the plot, Diego could not simply pretend to stay at home when his father was being punished, hence his apparently riding out for help. This really was so much more complicated that the actual episode, but then I suppose it had to be if De Soto wasn't suffering from delusions that he had the actual Zorro, something I still think is ridiculous and yet another sign of inconsistency in the character who could be at times clever (as when he realized that he hadn't been unconscious for a week because of a wet wine stain in "Rush to Judgement") and a completely delusional idiot here (or ridiculously obsessed with blackberries in "Mendoza the Malevolent"). I do hate it when a character is given the idiot ball for no good reason other than to make the plot move forward.


	35. Topsy Turvy (Like Father, Like Son) Part 2

On the ride home, Victoria was both surprised and yet not when she came upon Diego riding Esperanza and looking a bit tired and disheveled. She knew that he would want to look after his father himself, but she had not been sure how he was going to explain it.

"I'm glad to see you, husband," she said with a smile, "but..."

"I had a strange feeling that I needed to come back, and let Miguel and Joaquin ride on without me," he said. "And to them, the same, but turned back from going to see Great Aunt Catalina and Uncle Horacio. I'm glad the timing means that I met you on the way back."

"And for me. I missed you."

"I missed you as well," Diego said. "I hope we won't have to spend another night apart like that one again."

"Same here," Victoria said. The hacienda was now in sight. "And now to look after your father."

~Z~Z~Z~

They were met at the door by Maria who told them that Zorro had brought Don Alejandro in and left him on his bed. She'd had Carlos and Javier get him changed into his night clothes, but didn't know what else to do for him.

"That's all right, Maria," Diego said. "I think that was best for now. We'll look after him."

"Of course, Don Diego," she said, "I'll get back to the kitchen."

Victoria and Diego went to Don Alejandro's room, where Diego checked him. "He seems to be sleeping," he said.

"What should we do?" Victoria asked.

"I'll sit with him awhile," Diego said. "Could you perhaps make a cold compress for his head?"

"Certainly," she said, leaving the room.

Diego checked his father again, then pulled a chair close. Looking around, he picked up a book sitting on his father's bedside table. It was a rather dry history, that he assumed his father used to help him get to sleep. He had just settled back, when from his father's bed he heard: "Zorro."

Startled, Diego looked up to see his father staring up at him from the bed.

"I beg your pardon, Father," he said.

His father's expression was somewhat distant as he spoke. "I had a dream, Diego, and I dreamt... dreamt that I was Zorro. Imagine that: me, Zorro." He laughed slightly.

Unsure what he should tell his father but happy that he seemed to have come back to himself, Diego merely said, "Imagine that."

"It was so real, Diego," his father said still in that dreamy tone. "It was so real." His eyes focused on Diego a bit more clearly. "Diego?" he said.

"Yes?" Diego asked a bit nervously as he still wasn't sure what explanation he could give.

"You don't suppose there could actually be a little bit of Zorro in me, do you?" he asked.

_Probably as much as Don Quixote_ , Diego thought but said, "It's hard to say, Father. But you know, even a man like Zorro needs inspiration."

"What do you mean, Son?" his father asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I think there might be something of you in Zorro," Diego said with a slight smile, his relief making him a bit more open than he should be.

His father grinned broadly for a minute, then his eyes started drifting shut. "Sleepy now, Son," he murmured. "Remind me to ask you what's going on... later."

"Of course," Diego said quietly as his father fell back asleep.

A moment later, Victoria returned with the compress. "Any change?" she asked.

"Actually, yes," Diego said with a smile as he stood up and moved with her back to the door of the room. "He actually woke up and seems back in his right mind. However, he seems to think that what happened was all a dream."

"What are we going to tell him when he wakes back up?" Victoria asked. "How are we going to explain it to him?"

Diego looked sheepish. "I don't suppose we can get everyone else to not mention it, can we?"

"I wish," Victoria said. "But I doubt we could get our alcalde to keep quiet, not after his humiliation. I think he will want to make sure that your father shares in it as well."

"You are right," Diego said with a sigh. "Well, obviously we can't use the same story with him as I used with the alcalde, since he'll know he never had a costume made."

"We could say that _you_ did— for the same reason—" Victoria said, "and that he somehow stumbled over it after he hit his head, and thus..." she waved her hand about.

"I suppose it might work," Diego said. "It would be better than hoping that no one mentions it."

"And speaking of Zorro's outfit..." Victoria gestured to where the black clothes were neatly folded.

"Well we could dispose of it," Diego said. "No one would blame us for wanting to put this out of our minds."

"That would probably be a good idea, but perhaps we should wait a day, at least until we know what your father thinks or believes," Victoria said.

"Perhaps," Diego said. "But let's put this out of sight until then."

"I'll dump it with the laundry. Regardless of what we end up doing with it, it should be cleaned," Victoria said, gathering up the clothes

"Very well," Diego said, taking the compress to the bed. Carefully so as not to disturb his father too much, he applied the compress to his father's head. His father barely stirred.

Seeing him settled down for the moment, Diego decided he could leave his father for the moment and went to go find Victoria. However, just after he left his father's room, he heard a knock on the front door. He opened it to see Padres Benites and Dominguez who looked a bit startled themselves.

"Don Diego," Padre Benites said, as the two men entered the house, "we had not expected to see you home so soon."

"I had second thoughts about the trip and returned early just in time for Victoria to tell me what happened with my father. He's asleep at the moment, but he was awake long enough to show that he seems to be back in his right mind again though a little confused."

"That is excellent news," Padre Dominguez said. "After his rescue by Zorro, we thought it might behoove us to visit and see how he fared."

"Thank you, Padre," Diego said. "If you wish to examine him yourself..."

"No, if he is resting peacefully at the moment and you don't feel concerned, I would not wish to disturb him. He needs his rest, but if you wish us to remain until we can be sure he is indeed on the mend..."

"No, I don't think that will be necessary," Diego said, "but thank you for the offer. How is everything in the pueblo?"

"Quiet at the moment," Padre Benites said. "The crowds broke up soon after the alcalde retreated to his office, and the lancers found the key. Padre Marrón took it on himself to check on him, as he felt he might respond better to an unfamiliar man who would be departing soon."

Diego thought that might have the opposite effect, if De Soto felt his folly were likely to be exposed to a wider audience. As if he read his mind, Padre Benites added, "Padre Marrón is very adept at keeping his own council and convincing others of the same, though sometimes it is because they think he is too simple to remember what he is told."

"Which is far from the case," Padre Dominguez interjected. "But I believe he finds it useful."

"I don't think Don Alejandro need fear any reprisals for being rescued," Padre Benites said. "According to Sergeant Mendoza, the alcalde does not wish to speak of any of this."

"That is a relief," Diego said. "As I am sure that my father will not be over eager to be reminded of this either. It's best if it can be forgotten as quickly as possible."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego returned to his father's room early in the morning to check on him. He was still apparently sleeping naturally, so Diego settled down in a chair to watch him for a while. He was still pondering what needed to be done once his father awoke. Would he still be in his right mind? What would he remember? Would their explanations work? And if they didn't, what then? As he got lost in his thoughts, Diego was startled when his father spoke.

"It wasn't a dream, was it, son?"

Looking up, Diego saw his father staring at him. Apparently he hadn't been asleep at all. Hoping he looked calmer than he felt, he asked as evenly as possible. "What wasn't a dream, Father?"

"My being Zorro," he replied, "and perhaps," he sighed, "a little of Don Quixote."

Diego hesitated, as the words seemed unable to come.

"Tell me the truth, Diego," he insisted.

Diego took a deep breath before speaking. "You hit your head, and it did cause you to think you were Zorro."

"Did I really fight the Esteban brothers?"

"Yes, and defeated them, before the alcalde arrested you."

"Arrested? Oh... yes," he said, and then went silent for a long moment.

Diego remained silent as well, unsure as to what his father truly remembered and not wanting to anticipate his queries.

"I can understand the confusion. I remember Mendoza, but..." his father paused. "Zorro's clothes? I know I was dressed as Zorro."

Diego paused for a long moment and decided that he would start with what others had been told. "Umm, I told the alcalde that back when there was the imposter Zorro that you'd had a duplicate costume made but never used it."

His father stared at him. "I remember the imposter, but I never copied Zorro's costume. So I ask again, how did I come to be dressed as Zorro? I remember a cave and a sword..."

"You were carrying grandfather's sword when you were captured," Diego quickly interrupted, trying to distract his father from his train of thought.

"But I gave that to you," he said.

"I know, but that was the sword you took," Diego said.

His father stared at him again. "That cave... I know that cave... I had forgotten it for so long, but I know it. Diego, tell me the truth. I took no copy of Zorro's clothes, did I? I found Zorro's cave, and it is here."

Diego closed his eyes for a long moment. He had hoped it would not come to this, but now at this moment, he could not deny his father the truth. He had his doubts, but then he had doubted Victoria, and she had proven him wrong. But still that didn't make things any easier. He wanted to be able to trust his father's reactions, but he wasn't sure that he could. Nor did he think he could get away with another lie.

"Diego..." his father's voice sounded in his ear, and Diego looked back at him. "I want the truth. I deserve the truth."

Taking a deep breath, Diego said, "Yes. Yes, Zorro's cave is here and you found it."

"Is that all you have to say?" Alejandro asked. "Can't you tell me the rest directly?"

"What would you have me say?" Diego asked, feeling adrift in the conversation he did not want to have.

"The truth!" he nearly shouted, before dropping to a low voice. "That you've been hiding who you are beneath a mask. That you, my son, _are_ Zorro."

"I have been hiding too long to say such a thing easily," Diego replied. "And I haven't been hiding everything under a mask."

His father stared at him for a long moment before saying quietly, "No, you haven't. Does Victoria know? Wait, foolish question, of course, she knows. You wouldn't have married her if she didn't. If I know nothing else of you, I know that. How long has she known?"

"Since our trip to Santa Paula to see the emissary," Diego said. "Shortly before we went to Devil's Fortress." The crack in the dam he had built around Zorro was rapidly growing wider and the words, to his horror, were starting to flow.

"I knew something had changed then," Alejandro mused aloud, "but I thought it had to do with what happened at the fortress not before."

"We didn't want anyone to know, while we figured out what to do," Diego confessed. "We were both a bit confused then."

"And I thought _I_ was the one who prompted you to court Victoria." His father shook his head disbelievingly.

"You helped," Diego said. "At the time we were stuck with distancing her from Zorro, and I was hesitant about taking the next step. I don't know how long it would have taken if Doña Maria hadn't gotten it into her head to match up Victoria, and your suggestion that I should. Well, it was the sign that it was time."

"Well, that's something," Alejandro muttered. He was silent for a long minute, and Diego wondered if he should say anything more, but then his father spoke again. "Felipe. You're too close for him not to know."

"He's known from the beginning," Diego said with a sigh. "In fact, he was the one who gave me the idea for the name when he showed me a fox hiding in the cave."

"I also imagine his ability to read lips has come in handy," Alejandro said.

"You could say that," Diego replied, feeling a little guilty about keeping Felipe's hearing to himself. But that was Felipe's secret to keep or share, and he knew that Felipe was more nervous about Don Alejandro's finding out than anyone else. Diego knew that Felipe had let Cecilio and Magdalena know the truth as he was hoping to possibly learn to speak during their travels, and he knew that they already knew and kept Diego's secret, but that had still been _Felipe's_ choice. "I couldn't have done this without him."

"I should have realized," Alejandro said. "You two have been carrying a heavy burden." He was silent for another minute. "Do Cecilio and Magdalena know?"

Diego tried to find the right words. "They both knew I finished my studies with Sir Edmund, and during the siege, he figured it out."

"Anyone else in the family?" Alejandro asked with a heavy sigh.

"I believe Great Aunt Catalina knows," Diego said, "but she's never said anything outright."

"Is that all?" Alejandro said with a sudden huff. "Or am I the only member of the family who _doesn't_ know?"

"That's all. I don't think anyone else knows," Diego said, while thinking, _in the family_ , as there were some others that he believed might have a very good idea but had done nothing with their suspicions.

"That's enough, I suppose," Alejandro murmured. He looked uncharacteristically defeated and that was not like him.

"Father," Diego asked, "how are you feeling?"

"Like the world's greatest fool." Then his father sighed leaning his head back against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "How could I not have known? How could I have been a man my son could not trust?"

"No, father," Diego said. "That was not..."

Alejandro raised a hand. "No, son, if you felt you had to protect me in this way, then you could not trust me. It doesn't matter if it was my temper, my pride or my acting you did not trust. And yet you could trust Victoria."

"I had no choice, Father," Diego said. "Once she knew there was no going back." He looked at his father and thought he could give him this. Leaning forward, he said, "And I did not tell her, nor my aunt or uncle, nor Great Aunt Catalina. There is only one person to whom I have willingly told my secret, and that is you, though you do not remember it."

His father's eyes snapped to him. "When was this, Diego?"

"That time you were shot by bandits who were trying to rob the military pay roll," Diego said.

Closing his eyes, Alejandro said, "I remember that. I thought it was a dream." He laughed darkly. "Like I thought I dreamed I was Zorro. I should have known then as I do now. It seems that I am only really awake when I dream." Looking at Diego, Alejandro, still looking weary, said, "Thank you for that, son, but now I think I need some time alone. My head..."

"I have some medicine for you," Diego said.

"No, it is not that bad, and I need to think," Alejandro said. "Do not worry that I will go anywhere. I just want to be alone."

Clenching his hands on his knees for a moment, Diego reluctantly nodded and stood up from his chair. "I'll check on you in an hour, if that is all right?"

"Fine," Alejandro said, laying flat against his pillow.

Diego left the room, feeling a great burden of guilt for his father's pain. He walked to his and Victoria's room where he found her sitting at her desk, looking over some letters.

She turned when she heard him behind her, and seeing the expression on his face, immediately stood and embraced him. "He knows, doesn't he?" she said.

"Yes," Diego said. "When he woke this morning, he had realized that he hadn't been dreaming..." He sat down on the edge of the bed and told Victoria everything that they both had said. When he finished, he said, "I've never seen my father like that. So... defeated really, and by my lack of faith of him. And though I tried to deny it. He's right. You were right as well. I should have trusted him."

"You had reasons, understandable ones," Victoria said. "I may not have agreed, but I understood. Perhaps, I should go and speak to your father. If anyone understands how he's feeling, it would be me."

"Victoria..." Diego started to say, but she put a finger to his lips.

"It is the past," she said quietly before kissing him. "You made the choice you thought was best." She smiled at him. "Of course, it also proves that even Zorro isn't infallible."

"No, he's all too fallible," Diego said. "It's why I'm so fortunate that you overlook that in me." He sighed. "And you're right. You should talk to my father. I'm just not sure if now is the right time."

"If it isn't, he'll tell me," Victoria said, giving him another kiss before stepping back and turning to leave the room.

She first went to the kitchen to prepare Don Alejandro some tea, to have an excuse for checking on him. Once it was ready and on a tray, she headed for his room and knocked on the door, opening it once she heard Don Alejandro say enter.

He didn't seem surprised to see her, but then he knew her well, though perhaps not quite as well as he had previously thought.

"I brought you some tea to help your headache," she said as she set the tray on the table beside the bed.

"I imagine that isn't all you've come to do," he said with a weary smile as she handed him the tea.

"I thought you might want to talk with someone who also felt blind and foolish," Victoria said. "Someone who hated keeping the secret from you."

"But you deferred to Diego," he said.

"It was his secret to keep," Victoria replied. "He was the one who was facing all the danger, so I couldn't betray that."

"How did you figure it out, Victoria?" Don Alejandro asked.

"It's hard to say," Victoria said. "It has been so long now, but... it was back when I went with Diego to Santa Paula to speak with the emissary in your place. He was... different. More forceful, more persuasive. He clearly knew it was too important for him to risk things by playing the fool. I don't know that he was worried too much, as it was not as if he were drawing his sword or showing any particularly Zorroish quality beyond his determination and persuasiveness.

"I suppose it might have worked too, if we hadn't gotten caught in the bad weather and had to take shelter in an abandoned windmill. With just the two of us there and nothing but the storm as a distraction, I had enough time to start wondering why Diego seemed different and to remember how he used to be before he went off to Spain..." She trailed off as she considered what to say, as she certainly was not going to tell Diego's father everything. "Anyway there was a moment when everything was suddenly clear to me, as if all his masks had been stripped away. I felt as if I was suddenly seeing him for the first time again."

"I only saw when I took a blow to the head," Don Alejandro said. "What does that say about me?"

"Not what you think," Victoria said. "I think that there was a part of us that knew that things weren't what they seemed, but we let ourselves be blinded because it was safer that way. Safer for us, and safer for him."

"I shouldn't have been _safe_ when my son was putting himself in danger."

Victoria shook her head. "Don't speak as if you were hiding away. You know neither of us have stayed away from trouble. But I think it made everything easier. Diego didn't worry about us giving him away, and we helped him maintain his disguise. If he could keep it hidden from us, he could keep it hidden from everyone."

"You saw through it," Don Alejandro said. "Sooner than I did."

"More through luck than anything," Victoria said. "Also, it wasn't easy in the beginning. We... we were rather fortunate that Ramone died shortly after I found out. Not having an evil man waiting to pounce on any indication that I knew more than ought gave me the time I needed to master things. After all, there was very little that Zorro had to do directly before De Soto showed up." She looked Don Alejandro in the eyes. "And I think that perhaps this is the best time for _you_ to have learned the secret. After your injury and your..."

"Mad behavior?" Don Alejandro asked.

"Confused," Victoria corrected. "No one would be really surprised if you don't seem quite yourself for a bit, or if your behavior at all altered in any way."

"I see your point," Don Alejandro said, sitting up. "I just hope Diego doesn't expect me to continue standing aside though."

"No more than he expected me too. But we have to find in other ways, and that's something the three of us should discuss, if you're ready to see Diego again."

"Yes, he should come in," Don Alejandro said. "Not that I think he isn't hovering outside the door just outside the door to make sure that we're not disturbed." He looked at his bed. "Could you go out to him and give me time to get decent? If we're going to have this talk, I don't want to be in my bed like an invalid. My head may hurt, but I can certainly stay upright long enough for this."

"All right," she said, rising to leave.

Diego was sitting outside the door when Victoria exited. "How is Father?" he asked.

"Better, I think, and eager to talk about the future, once he gets dressed."

"Should he really be getting up right now?"

"I don't know if he should, but I think he must, for the sake of his own dignity," Victoria said. "He's only just managed to accept his own blindness, though not easily." She then quickly told Diego what they had said. "So you see, he wants to be able to sit and talk as a man rather than an invalid who must be coddled."

"Of course," Diego said. "I just can't help but worry."

"I know," Victoria said. "It's what has kept you safe."

"And it kept us apart and hurt my father," Diego said.

"Perhaps, but it's hard to say truly that you were wrong. I know I never agreed, but you were the one taking the greatest risks, and your father isn't always predictable. But now he knows, and we need to move on from here. I really do think that as when I found out, that this may be the best time for him."

Diego sighed. "I hope you're right. Not that we have any other option now."

"No, so let us make the best of it and hope that your father can help us figure out how to free Los Angeles from the need for Zorro."

"Let us," Diego said, still feeling guilty for that part of him that had doubts about how well this was going to go.

~Z~Z~Z~

In a few minutes, they were seated in Don Alejandro's room, him in a chair near the window, them on the small sofa. Diego tried to keep his worry out of his face, as he knew his father was resenting his invalid status. He always did, but Diego noticed that he resented Victoria's fussing less than his own, so he let her do that before they settled in.

However, he could not help but ask, "Are you sure you are well enough for this, Father?"

"Of course, I am," Alejandro said. "This is not something I want to delay discussing."

"And we shouldn't," Victoria said. "I think we all want to see the time for Zorro to come to an end. It is not right for the pueblo to have to depend on the actions of a single man."

"You're right, Victoria," Don Alejandro said. "And not just because I now know the truth, but I've also seen how the people can pull together when they aren't simply waiting for their hero. I had noticed that Zorro has been making fewer appearances of late, but I only partly put it together with what you have been doing, Diego. I don't know if I've let you know how proud I've been of what I've seen you do. I know you've been doing more to try to halt De Soto's ambitions than I've realized. And I understand now why and how, and it's time that I did my part to truly help rid ourselves of our current tyrant. We need to work together, son, not separately."

"That is the idea, Father," Diego said. "And I've been thinking that one mistake that we've been making is to forget that our current alcalde unlike our last is not looking to become a power here in California but instead wants to return to Spain a hero, and he has long focused on Zorro as the means to return."

"And you're thinking that Zorro's diminishing appearances may cause him to become desperate?" Victoria asked.

"I think it would explain his behavior in regards to Father's... "

"Temporary madness?" Alejandro interjected. "I think you're right, son. What we need to do is find a way to get De Soto away from here without involving Zorro."

"And to make sure that the people can choose his replacement," Victoria said. "We don't want another De Soto or Ramone."

"I think we might manage that with the help of my friend Ernesto. The truth is the pueblo has the right to elect its alcalde."

"The garrison here is small enough that it has never truly required more than a sergeant in charge," Alejandro said. "It was Ramone who usurped both positions and made it seem like it was always that way."

"And apparently, it was Zorro's reputation that ensured us an appointment from Madrid," Diego said, a little bitterly.

"Was it really that?" Victoria asked.

"I'm not surprised by it," Alejandro said. "But if our plans work, and Zorro fades from the picture, then it is unlikely that anyone will take too much of an interest in who our next leaders are, and we should be able to get a good man into the office."

"So do you have an idea of how to manage the removal of De Soto?" Diego asked.

"The beginnings of one," Alejandro said. "First though I need to start getting the caballeros working together again. And we need to identify a place or position that would offer De Soto more of a chance to gain that glory he seeks."

"You're looking to promote him out of here?" Victoria asked.

"I would hope it would look that way to him," Alejandro said. "Or at least, a realization that his goals will not be met by a continuing pursuit of Zorro, and if he has a less unreachable honor placed before him..."

"That may take some time," Diego said. "De Soto is nothing if not stubborn, and I'm not sure how we will be able to find something more tempting for him."

"Leave that to me, son," Alejandro said. "I know people who might know of something. I'm afraid I've gotten too used to facing the devil head on to remember the value of sneaking up behind him. And I've thought of him too much in the same vein as Ramone."

"So we have a plan of sorts," Victoria said.

"The hardest part," Diego said, "will continue to be the temptation to let Zorro solve a problem rather than stopping to consider if there's another way."

"Well, you have the true de la Vega spirit," Alejandro said. "We rarely want to wait to see if other people will act. I promise, son, I will do my part to help and not overreact."

"We'll do this together," Diego said.

Victoria smiled at both men. "Father, I think we've done enough discussing for the moment. You still need to recover."

"I still need to hide," Alejandro grumbled but he didn't look too put out. "Fine. I'll go back to bed and stay for today. But tomorrow I'm leaving my room. I have letters to start writing."

"Don't try to do too much," Diego said. "Head wounds can be tricky."

"I am well aware of that," Alejandro said. "The best part is being able to avoid the people who annoy you, not that I expect any visit from our not so esteemed alcalde. He's got his own humiliation to live down."

"True, and perhaps soon, we can encourage him to seek a triumph elsewhere," Diego said.

"Definitely," Alejandro said.

~Z~Z~Z~

The rest of the day passed unremarkably. Don Alejandro rested, even if he was a bit cantankerous when Victoria took in his lunch or when Diego checked on him. Dinner was a quiet business, and by mutual desire, Diego and Victoria headed to bed early.

"Your father seems a lot more positive now, don't you think?" Victoria said, as she climbed into bed.

"I think so," Diego said. "Though we will have to see what happens once he realizes what a strain the secret is."

"If nothing else, trust how much your father loves you," Victoria said, as she cuddled up to him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder and reaching out to play with the buttons of Diego's night shirt.

"I trust that; it's his temper and patience that I am more worried about," he said.

"He knows the danger," Victoria said, "and he has a goal and a purpose. He's not going to lose sight of that."

Casually she had worked his buttons loose as she talked. She knew he was a natural born worrier, but it would do no good to borrow trouble at this moment. And she knew exactly how to take his mind off his worries. Her hand slipped into the open shirt, and Victoria leaned in to kiss his neck.

"Diego," she murmured, as she felt his gasp of breath and his arm tightening around her, "I think there are other things to worry about tonight."

With a sudden motion, he managed to roll her over to her back. "You mean like making up for our separation," he said, deftly unbuttoning her gown as well.

"Exactly," she said, her hands sliding down Diego's back. "There's a lot to make up for."

"Well, I have the time and the patience," he said, leaning down to start kissing a trail from her ear to neck.

Victoria sighed and then grabbed his face and pulled him down for a deep, lingering kiss. At length, their lips parted. "I have the time," she said breathily, "but I'm not feeling very patient."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all the complications of this plot, I did feel a compelling need to come up with a better solution of dealing with the aftermath beyond, "let's pretend this embarrassing thing didn't happen, so no one think too much about it, ok?" I'm not sure mine is optimal, but it is an explanation of sorts, even if I don't go into any of the actual details. 
> 
> Also, I have been meaning to have Don Alejandro learn the truth about Diego, and this seems the right place for it, since I backed out of having him finding out after "The Word". I just don't think they could really cover it up from him, and I think this is a case where Diego's excuses would not really fly, though how Don Alejandro ended up reacting surprised me. I expected more anger or outrage not the depression. I'm not sure where it came from. However, because of it and because I realized that Diego actually had not told anyone else his secret in this saga, I had to have Diego give this one gift to his father, since really he was the only one to whom he had actually confessed. 
> 
> I also felt it was important that Victoria and Alejandro have a conversation, since she had been in the same place he had been even if she has known the secret for a while. I did think she could help him work through it. Also, I thought it was important that they all have a talk about what to do next, and that he have something to do of importance, not just something to make him think he was being useful, but something actually useful. And I think it was important that they actually remember that De Soto really doesn't want to stay in California but return to Madrid in glory. It really is the most direct distinction between him and Ramone. Ramone wanted to be a power in California, De Soto didn't. So now I am going to have them working to find a way to get De Soto to leave or be transferred from Los Angeles, within the confines of the episodes themselves. So obviously they won't be succeeding for some time. But I want them to have a course of action in mind to go along with their plan to reduce Zorro's presence. 
> 
> Next up: "Love Potion Number 9" and the only actual appearance of Diego's roguish friend Estevan. And while it includes the potions of Dr. Wayne, no one will be falling under the influence of any love potion, real or imaginary.   
> Technically in production order, "Symbol of Hope" would be next; however, that would also mean that "Love Potion Number 9" would follow "The Reward," and that's a thematic dissonance I want to avoid, so I flipped their positions.


	36. A Midsummer's Night...mare (Love Potion Number Nine) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego's roguish friend Estevan visits Los Angeles and with the help of Dr. Wayne's potions causes a bit of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is very, very, very loosely based on the episode "Love Potion Number Nine" written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor. As in, the love potion plays absolutely no part in the story at all; rather, it's all about a different potion of Dr. Henry Wayne

Victoria stood on some steps in her store room. As it had been a very light day and there were no guests, she had closed the tavern early for siesta and let her help go home, while she decided to start a well over due cleaning of her storeroom. So much had accumulated in there, and she really could use some extra space. Looking on the top shelf she had to wonder what in the world she'd left in the bag that was pushed to the back. She grabbed for it, somehow managing to overbalance before falling onto the folded up mattress that she had unaccountably left there.

Unfortunately there was also something hard under it, and she landed with a thud and a small cry.

Wondering what she had landed on, she pulled back the mattress to reveal a small chest. Before she could open it, Diego entered the room.

"Are you all right, Victoria?" he asked looking at her where she sat on the floor.

"Yes, I just fell on this." She gestured at the box.

Diego, after a moment of looking at her apparently to determine if she were otherwise fine, moved to sit on the floor behind her, then drew her into his lap so they both could look in the box. They opened the lid to discover a cloth and then another smaller wooden box which when opened had a small metal placard on the inside of the lid.

"'The ten potions of Dr. Henry Wayne,'" Victoria read.

"Dr. Wayne?" Diego asked. "He left this box here?"

"I suppose," Victoria said. "I can't believe that this has been sitting here all the time, and I hadn't noticed."

Diego was looking at the labels on the bottles. "Strength, courage, speed, even generosity. Definitely useful, but jealousy? Fear? Who would want those?"

"Someone looking to deal with a rival, I guess," Victoria said. "I'd be a bit worried about Truth as well. Some truths are better left unsaid." Especially with secrets like the one she and Diego kept.

"Most definitely," Diego replied. "But here's love and passion..."

"We have plenty of both," Victoria said with a smile, twisting to press a kiss against his neck.

"A true abundance," Diego said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.

Thoughts of the bottles slipping away, Victoria said, "Do you remember the last time we were in the tavern alone?"

Diego paused. "Not since before we were married... oh, back when that..."

"Crazy woman tried to kill me," she said, matter of factly, before her voice turned softer and more sensual. "Of course, I remember what happened afterwards very clearly."

"As do I," Diego said with a soft smile. "Oh, what I wanted to do then."

"You weren't alone in those feelings," Victoria said, no longer wanting to bother with the cleaning.

"Perhaps we could go upstairs and finish what we started then," Diego said, letting his hands caress her.

"An excellent idea," she said, disentangling herself from her husband's arms in order to stand up. With a teasing smile she immediately left the storage room.

Diego followed her into the main room of the tavern, holding the now closed potion box. Victoria looked at it curiously.

"I want to take a closer look later," he said.

"Much later," Victoria responded, taking it from him to put on a table before grabbing his hand and pulling him upstairs.

~Z~Z~Z~

Some time later, Diego and Victoria were cuddled together in her old bed, satiated and enjoying the pleasant lassitude that followed their expenditure of energy. Victoria had her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure I should believe that you had all that on your mind that night," she murmured.

"Well, perhaps not precisely that," Diego admitted, "but then everything about being married to you is better than I could have dreamed." He kissed the top of her head.

"For me as well," she said, tilting her head up to kiss his neck.

Diego was just starting to move to kiss her lips, when a sudden noise from downstairs caused them both to freeze. "Is it time for Señor Calvillo to return?"

"I don't think so," Victoria said. "I wasn't expecting anyone to return until it was time to start preparing dinner."

"I'd better take a look," Diego said, swiftly rising from the bed. Grabbing his clothes, he was dressed before Victoria had more than thrown on her chemise. He finished buttoning his shirt one handed as he unlocked the door and slipped out of the room.

Looking over the balcony, he saw a man in dusty traveling clothes standing next to the bar with his back to him. He was pouring wine into a glass with one hand while apparently looking through the now opened box of potions. There was something familiar about the figure however. Diego started down the stairs; he was half way down when the man, putting down the bottle not turning, spoke in an all too recognizable voice.

"I was wondering if there was anyone here," he said. "You probably should lock up better, but then I was rather desperate for a drink."

"Estevan?"

At that, the man turned, all scruffy nonchalance. "Well, well, I expected to see you once I got to Los Angeles but I didn't expect to find you in an apparently closed tavern."

"I didn't expect to see you at all," Diego responded as he came down the steps. "Especially not in a definitely _locked_ tavern."

"Not too locked for me," Estevan replied with a shrug. "I've been traveling for a while, and I was thirsty." He fished some coins from his pocket. "I've even got enough to pay."

"So I see," Diego said. "Would you have bothered if it hadn't been me?"

"You wound me, amigo," Estevan said with a feigned look of hurt on his face and a hand over his heart; then looking past Diego's shoulder, he smiled.

Diego turned to see Victoria, now fully dressed, coming down the stairs.

"Now, that is a vision of loveliness," Estevan said. "Dare I hope that she is _not_ your new bride?"

Frowning at the air of insinuation in Estevan's voice, Diego said, "I would not dare hope in your shoes, Estevan; that is indeed my wife Victoria, owner of this tavern."

"You have all the luck, Diego," Estevan said with an exaggerated air of disappointment as Victoria reached Diego's side. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Señora. Though it would be a greater pleasure if you were still a señorita."

_No,_ thought Diego. _You'd be happier if she were either a merry widow or a disaffected wife married to an infirm or absent husband, but it hardly makes a difference as she's definitely not free for your dubious brand of charm._

"So you must be the infamous Estevan Valverde," Victoria said. "I have heard a great deal of you."

"You mustn't believe everything you hear, Señora," he said with a smirk as he took her hand. "My friends just like to blame me when they get into trouble. If they'd only listen to me..."

"We'd have been in even more trouble, my friend," Diego said. "What brings you to Los Angeles? The last news I had was that you were in Mexico City because of some issue with your father."

"Oh, he was trying to get me to be sensible and come home, but it's not as if he doesn't have my eldest brother there. Honestly, as a second son with a surplus of younger brothers, I don't see much point in hanging around. I'm far more happy wandering about on my own. It's infinitely more interesting and rewarding than the dull stuff he wants me to do."

"So what _do_ you do?" Diego asked.

"A bit of this and that," Estevan said, which Diego took to mean that about half if not more was probably skirting the laws of whatever places he had been. "I've done some consulting work on crops, some chemical work, a bit of explosives for mining, that kind of thing." He turned back to the bar and opened the box. "'The Ten Potions of Dr. Henry Wayne,'" he read off. "You know I've met the man. We traveled together for a short time, until we had a parting of the ways over methodology. I'd forgotten about these things. He was so sure he had the best formulas, though I knew more about chemistry than he did and had to advise him how to make them work better. He was more mechanically minded than chemically."

"Are you saying that these actually do what they claim?" Diego asked.

"You always were a skeptic," Estevan said. "There was never any room for a mixture of magic and medicine."

"And you were always the world's greatest purveyor of flim-flam," Diego said.

"I've always known the power of dreams," Estevan said. "And you'd be surprised at just what the potions can do, if properly applied."

"Estevan, I think you're talking more the power of persuasion than either dreams or potions," Diego said. "And I have made a study of that."

His friend had a gleam in his eye. "A study? A practical one? A proper test of your hypothesis?"

"Yes, but not one I intend to discuss," Diego said. "But while we're talking about the potions, perhaps you could explain why things like jealousy and fear."

"Oh, Diego, you can't be that naive despite your tendency to believe the best of people until proven otherwise. There are always malicious little souls, wanting to punish or take from others their peace of minds or..." he pulled out a bottle, "their secrets. Truth was a rather popular potion, third next to love and courage." He grinned. "And people _swore_ by the results."

"Or _at_ them," Diego said.

"What is so special about this truth potion?" Victoria asked. "After all, alcohol has that reputation all on its own."

"True, Señora," Estevan said. " _In vino veritas_ and all that, but there is more out there than wine. Think of all those plants that induce visions, and I have discovered ones that cause a man to babble even his deepest secrets, and those were the basis of the purest form of truth potion. Better even than tequila for getting to the heart of the matter."

"I find that highly unlikely," Diego said.

"There are more things in heaven and earth..."

"Than are dreamt of in my philosophy, yes, I know," Diego said. "But still I doubt it."

"All right," Estevan said. "Then try it."

"Not likely," Diego said.

"Then you have a little doubt about your doubt," his friend said.

"No, I'd rather not risk being poisoned, as most of those rumored plants you spoke of are dangerous in the wrong quantities."

"Not the way I use them," Estevan said. "And when it comes to chemicals, you know I'm always careful."

"Really? So you planned that particular lab explosion then," Diego said.

"All right, one mistake," Estevan said. "Now I must hear all about you and your lovely bride, and is it true that your pueblo has been cursed with the presence of Ignacio De Soto?"

"Yes, he is the alcalde," Diego said.

"You always thought so well of him; I don't know why."

"After having him as our alcalde, I'm hard-pressed to remember why as well," Diego said, but then added, "So will you stay with us at our hacienda or are you going to insist on staying here?"

"Here, of course," Estevan said. "You know my love of taverns, or at least my love of staying in the thick of things."

"Yes, but try to remember that this is a respectable tavern," Diego said.

"Naturally," Estevan said. "I know where I'm at, but don't expect me to not flirt. That's too much to ask."

"My girls are used to that," Victoria said. "As long as you keep it harmless."

"My dear señora, I am the most harmless character in creation," he said with a sly smile that Diego knew all too well. "Trust me on that."

"If only I could," Diego murmured.

~Z~Z~Z~

Once Señor Calvillo and the rest of the tavern staff returned, Diego and Victoria decided to go to the hacienda and return to the tavern for dinner. Diego was mainly concerned to know what his old friend would be getting up to, especially considering his own dislike for De Soto. They ended up arriving at the tavern just a bit too late, or so it seemed. There was a lot of noise from a bunch of lancers in the corner while Mendoza seemed to be preening over something.

Diego looked over and saw Estevan and De Soto sitting at a table together, the box of potions sitting next to Estevan and a couple of half full bottles sitting in front of them, as well as a couple of nearly empty glasses. Diego also noticed that one of the tables seemed to be missing. Victoria almost immediately headed for the kitchen, presumably to find out what had happened and check on how dinner was going. Diego decided to sit down near the two men and simply see what was going on before worrying that he'd need to get involved.

A purpose that was thwarted when Estevan noticed him and waved him over to the table.

"Diego, come, my friend, we were just discussing that particular elixir that you expressed such doubt about, and you missed the most splendid demonstration of the strength potion by Sergeant Mendoza."

So that explained Mendoza's group. He'd thought it had been another tale of his army exploits. That was carelessness on his part. He seemed to be doing that more often lately. Rather dangerous really. Just because there had been less need for Zorro was no reason for him to get careless.

"What happened?" Diego asked, not wanting to interrupt the sergeant and get the very long and exaggerated version.

"It was... moderately impressive," De Soto said. "The Sergeant accidentally broke a table and lifted the bar."

Diego glanced at Estevan. "In that case, I think you'd better be prepared to pay for the table, my friend, as I don't think that my wife will appreciate any damage done by your influence."

"Always the spoil sport, Diego," Estevan said. "But I'm good for it. You know that I always do my share."

"When pressed," Diego said under his breath.

De Soto appeared not to have heard as he was finishing off his drink.

Estevan ignored Diego's words. "Besides we're in the midst of a much more interesting experiment."

"What experiment?" De Soto asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Truth, Ignacio," Estevan said. "Truth in your glass." De Soto started at that, though Estevan continued addressing both Diego and De Soto. "It was our most potent potion. Not even the strongest urge of self protection can overcome it. And that's what I've given Ignacio here a taste of..."

"Please..." De Soto said dismissively. "Am I supposed to take the word of the man who nearly took out the laboratories during his first week of study?"

"And what happened with Mendoza? A collective figment of our imaginations, perhaps?" Estevan said.

"That was... unusual," De Soto said hesitantly.

Diego said nothing as he had not been a witness to what happened. He would reserve judgement until he could get an accurate idea and examine the potion in question. Something that was unlikely as the bottle now seemed to be empty and he doubted his friend would be willing to disclose the ingredients. He had always guarded his chemical processes most carefully.

"So there's something in 'strength,'" Estevan said. "I could perhaps have chosen generosity for you. That's always a useful one. Who couldn't use a generous patron? But there's something so stark and pure about truth, isn't there?" He paused for a moment for dramatic effect, and Diego resisted the urge to roll his eyes before Estevan spoke again. "I wonder do you feel this urge to say exactly what's on your mind, Ignacio? This bubbling urge to answer questions before they are even asked?"

"This is ridiculous," De Soto said. "I always say what is on my mind. There's no reason for me not to."

"Oh, I can think of reasons," Estevan said, in a way that made Diego start to feel nervous. "Embarrassing questions, for instance, such as: did you cheat your way through the university?"

"Estevan..." Diego said warningly.

"Of course, I did," De Soto said. "But that's not something I tend to deny; I just laugh it off to make people think I'm lying."

"But now everyone in this room knows you're not," Estevan said.

"There's no one in this room whose opinion matters," De Soto said, then glanced around. "Save possibly de la Vega's here, and that's only because he's a ridiculous tattle tale who will either print things in his paper or write some letter to some jumped up popinjay in the government and cause trouble that way."

"Interesting," Diego said, now more curious than anything.

De Soto was not the type to play along for a joke, but then he rarely refrained from insulting Diego to his face unless he had something particular he needed, though as he had started to see a certain amount of power associated with the de la Vega family, he had cut down the insults more. But this was a bit blunt in light of recent behavior. Was there really anything to this? Despite his scepticism, he had heard some of the same legends as Estevan, and alcohol was known as a loosener of tongues, but most of what he had heard did not guarantee absolute truth. In point of fact, hallucinations and delusions were the more common side effects.

Diego turned his attention to a glass of lemonade that Teresa had just placed in front of him. He glanced at the potion box on the table and lost any desire to drink anything in the presence of his friend, who was speaking to De Soto again.

"Ah, yes, any particular popinjay?" Estevan asked. "Or are they just popinjays in general?"

"If they're a friend of de la Vega's," de Soto said, then turning to Diego, snorted. "You're always talking nonsense. How you've managed to get anyone to listen to you astounds me."

"I simply tell the truth, alcalde," Diego said. "If it causes you difficulty, well, I think that says more about your actions than mine."

"You are the most sanctimonious prig I have had the misfortune to meet. How you managed to convince a fiery señorita like Victoria Escalante to marry you beggars belief. I'd say it was your money, but with her stupid pride, I doubt that would be enough to turn her mind. But you never can tell with women. Maybe it's the security of having such a dull dependable fellow under her thumb. After all, you should be easy enough to fool once she gets bored."

Diego's temper started rising. Insult him all he liked, but nobody questioned Victoria's honor.

"Do you really want to be saying that about my wife, alcalde?" He barely avoided growling at the man.

De Soto looked confused for a moment. "No... no, I don't..." He looked down and snatched up the bottle on the table. "Truth... even hidden truths. That could come in very handy when looking for a man with a secret," he said quietly. "I'm going to need a lot more of this."

"Sorry, that's the only sample," Estevan said with a grin. "I haven't been interested in those potions for years. It was more Henry's interest than mine. He just needed me to refine his ideas."

"Well, you can surely recreate it," De Soto said.

"If he didn't keep any notes, it's unlikely," Diego said. "And I doubt it was a simple process."

"Not too simple," Estevan said. "Forget it, Ignacio. I've better things to do with my time, like drinking this fine wine." He tilted up his glass and then pushed the box towards De Soto. "Why don't you try a little generosity? It would make whatever truths you blurt a bit more palatable, I think."

De Soto slammed the lid down. "I have been rotting in this godforsaken pueblo for too long. My only shot for glory and promotion is to finally be the one to capture and unmask Zorro, and this is the best opportunity I've seen in a long time."

"No one in the pueblo knows anything about the man," Diego said. "If they did someone would have given him away a long time ago."

"You'd be surprised at the level of deceit human beings are capable of, de la Vega," De Soto said, then turning to Estevan added, "Now either you agree to help me or I'll throw you into jail."

"On what charge, alcalde?" Diego asked.

"Drugging a public official, destruction of property, and just being a damned nuisance," De Soto said.

"Nothing worse than I've been accused of before," Estevan said. "So no, I'm not doing anything."

"Sergeant Mendoza!" De Soto shouted, standing up. "Throw this man in jail."

"Now, really, alcalde," Diego said. "I think you need to stop and think."

"And take de la Vega as well," De Soto said.

Diego was taken aback as he hadn't really done anything worth mentioning. Mendoza looked a bit confused and about to protest, but it was Victoria's voice that asked the question, "And what exactly are you arresting my husband for?"

"For being a nuisance— and um... aiding and abetting his friend there," De Soto said. "He clearly knew the dangers of these potions and did nothing about it."

"That is ridiculous, alcalde," Victoria said. "My husband did nothing with these things."

"Nevertheless..."

Victoria looked like she was about to explode, so Diego stepped in, placing one hand on her arm and said, "This is ridiculous, but if you insist..."

"I do," De Soto said. "Sergeant, do your duty."

"Sí, mi alcalde," Mendoza said, with a sigh. "If you will come with me."

"I'm not generally one to come quietly..." Estevan said with a grin.

"Estevan..." Diego interrupted with a warning tone. "Now is not the time."

"It's always the time," his friend returned before shrugging his shoulders, "but still as an honest law abiding citizen, I am willing to go along for the moment." He winked at Diego as he swaggered towards the front door of the tavern, followed by a couple of soldiers.

~Z~Z~Z~

Once Mendoza locked the cell, Diego immediately sat down on a cot. "This is an all too familiar scenario."

"Oh, and how often have we really ended up in jail?" Estevan scoffed, as he found a seat on the other cot.

"That is not what I meant and you know it. This is yet another time when I end up in trouble due to something you've done. Only this time I get the added joy of spending the night away from my lovely bride, who is probably busy fuming."

"Well, then making up should be quite fun," Estevan said, with a cheeky grin. "Nothing like a good bit of temper to raise the passions..."

"You're lucky I don't punch you here and now," Diego said.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Estevan said, shrugging.

Diego sighed. There wasn't much point in doing anything at the moment. De Soto would cool down in the morning; Victoria wouldn't blame him for his predicament, and he could only hope that there would be nothing that would require Zorro's attention over night. All he could do was wait.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was quite late when Diego was woken by the sound of the door from the alcalde's office opening, and he recognized the heavy tread of De Soto's feet. He didn't know what the man wanted but figured that he would be most irritated by Diego's ability to sleep even under uncomfortable circumstances. In any event it had been a long evening, especially since he wasn't allowed to see Victoria when she brought his dinner over. That task had been given to Mendoza, and while Diego liked the man well enough, he was no substitute for his wife. And just for that extra bit of spite on De Soto's part, Diego was determined to feign sleep unless it turned out he was being released.

He was soon glad that he did, as it was clear that De Soto had come to speak to Estevan, who being as light a sleeper as Diego, had apparently sat up almost as soon as the door opened.

"Ah, there you are, Ignacio," he said cheerfully. "Come to your senses already and letting us out?"

"Not precisely," De Soto said. "I thought I'd see if you'd come to yours and volunteer to help me by brewing up some more truth potion."

"A few hours in jail isn't really enough to make me change my mind. Especially such a pleasant jail as this one."

"I didn't think so," De Soto said, with a tone of hidden malice. "So while I was contemplating the best arguments that I could use on you, I was also going through a pile of reports and wanted posters that I hadn't thought important enough to post yet, and what should I find but this little beauty."

Diego could hear the rustling of paper and opened one eye enough to peek at De Soto who was holding a piece of parchment.

De Soto continued talking. "Wanted Estevan Valverde, theft, bounty of 100 pesos. Whatever did you steal from this..." There was a pause. Diego knew De Soto was relishing the moment. "... Julio Santiago?"

"Not a thing," Estevan said, "that hadn't already been well and truly taken already. He just so happened to catch me with his daughter Perlita, but believe me that pearl had been well and truly removed from its shell long before I met her. He should have gone for the pearl divers among his own men instead of me. And 100 pesos is an insult, I'm worth more than that, and so was she."

"Well, there's still a price on your head, and insult or not, I'm inclined to send you back to face the wrath of an angry father who can do with you what he will."

"I see," Estevan said.

While his friend was trying to sound nonchalant, Diego knew and he believed that De Soto knew as well that he did _not_ want to deal with this Santiago, whoever he was. There was silence for a long moment before Estevan spoke again.

"Ignacio, you do realize that truth potion is a rather complicated concoction, that requires more ingredients than I've got on hand. I'd need help and someone knowledgeable enough to find the plants I need, since I think I can safely say that you would not trust me out of your sight long enough to find them."

"You are correct at that," De Soto said. "De la Vega can do it, can he not?"

There was a hesitation. "He _could_ , but I have my doubts that he _would_. After all he has only an angry wife to face, and something tells me that she would side with him in refusing."

"I am sure he'll see reason, as he would like to get back to his wife, and surely he's enough of a friend that he'd like to spare you from whatever fate Santiago has planned for you."

"And how exactly do you intend to make use of the truth potion?" Estevan asked. "I merely ask as that will affect how and how much of the potion I make."

"Why, I'll throw a party, of course," De Soto said. "And what is a party without good conversation?" There was another pause. "I'll let you figure it all out. We'll talk again in the morning." Diego heard De Soto leaving.

The moment the door closed, Estevan spoke. "I take it you heard everything, Diego."

"Every word," Diego replied, not bothering to open his eyes. "Should I say I told you so?"

"Don't bother. She was worth a bit of trouble, a surprisingly talented girl."

"But not all of it," Diego said with a sigh. He and Estevan would never see eye to eye on the subject, but at least to his friend's credit, he was no seducer of innocents. He preferred his women experienced and more than willing. So rather than continue down this pointless path, he instead decided to get to the more current material point. "So what is it you intend to do?" he asked, turning his head to look at his friend.

Estevan had taken out a small coin and was rolling it over his knuckles. After several rotations, he finally said, "I say we do it."

"Are you mad?" Diego asked. "Or do you want to drive the town mad?"

"Not at all," Estevan said. "The particular version of the truth potion I'm thinking of is relatively harmless. Not too many side effects, at least none worse than a hangover really."

"And I suppose you've got the ingredients with you."

"They should be easy enough for you to come by."

"And remind me exactly why I'd do this for you again?"

"You don't want to see me with my britches filled with lead from a delusional father," he said.

"Not really good enough to justify poisoning my town at the behest of our not so esteemed alcalde."

"Fine. Then because Ignacio is a stubborn _capullo_ with an idea stuck in his head, and better to show him how little what he wants will help him and get it done. Besides, while I'm brewing up what he wants, I'll get a chance to brew up a little something I've been wanting to try. Old Henry gave me the notion, but at the time I was more interested in moving on to explosives, but I have been thinking it over and I think if nothing else will, it will really put the lid on Ignacio's little notions."

"Why does that sound like an even worse idea?"

"Because you have gotten ridiculously cautious since leaving Spain. Surely, you can't have forgotten about what we did to that supercilious ass that was trying to make Ernesto's life miserable. I mean you were the one who soaked his fencing shirt with that little concoction that made him start to stink once he actually started to sweat."

"You were the one who added the component that made his skin turn bright red at the same time..."

"He deserved it for his snide comments about Californios. Is it my fault he was called the Red Skunk until graduation?"

"I rather think the blame could be equally distributed between us," Diego said.

"No, I prefer to think that he got to experience the proper consequences for his actions," Estevan said before suddenly laughing.

"What?" Diego asked.

"I was just hit with the thought that if our skunk had come to California and decided to fight injustice, he could team up with your Zorro. I mean el Zorro and el Zorrillo— what a combination of fair and foul. Zorro fighting with his cunning and his sword and Zorillo with his overwhelming stench. They would be an unbeatable combination."

Diego shook his head wryly. "I think it more likely, he'd rather have lived with a permanent stench than step foot outside of Spain, and I doubt that Zorro would appreciate a skunk for a partner. He'd always need to stay downwind of him."

"Too true, not that I'd particularly wish him on our lovely continent anyway," Estevan said. "To get back to business though, it's better to get this over with now and take the opportunity to teach Ignacio De Soto a lesson in being careful what he wishes for."

After a long moment in which Diego went over all the possibilities, he finally said, "You say it's relatively harmless?"

"Once you see the ingredient list, you'll agree," Estevan said. "Come on, live a little."

"I know I'm going to regret this," Diego finally said. "But if De Soto's still as stubborn in the morning, I'll go along with it."

Estevan grinned. "Then I'll let you know everything tomorrow."

Diego sighed and went back to sleep.

~to be concluded~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have the appearance of the infamous Estevan (who takes his name from Disney's Diego's roguish maternal uncle, and yes, that's how the name is spelled in the credits, so that's the spelling I'm using). He was initially meant to be nothing but a charming rogue, but as I was contemplating him and his role in this story, I realized he needed to be something more, a rogue with brains beyond his taste for mischief, so a little more like Tony Stark in his partying days, than say Walt Disney's practical joking Ricardo del Amo, who was the other initial inspiration. I can't remember where the last name came from, though I think it was some historical figure, but I didn't actually write down the source, and it's flown out of my head. 
> 
> Anyway, since I realized that Estevan needed a brain far enough back I managed to work in a little bit of this into my last in-between story. One problem I'm a bit concerned about is that I'm not overly fond of the charming rogue type, as I hate practical jokers and people who drag others into stupid behavior in the name of fun, and that will have definitely leaked through, but without Estevan's prankish behavior or his ability to drag Diego into some things that he knows aren't a good idea, the plot wouldn't have worked, and at least his stupid behavior doesn't make me nearly as angry as the original "Love Potion Number 9" did.
> 
> And as for the Potions of Dr. Henry Wayne, in the episode five potions are mentioned: Strength, Passion, Love, Fear, Courage. From screen capture, the sixth is clearly Jealousy. That leaves four unknowns, one of which seems to end with "-rgy" and another seems to begin with "Sp-" . For this story's purposes, I started with this list as the potions: Strength, Courage, Fear, Passion, Love, Jealousy, Lethargy, Energy, Spite, Truth. However, thanks to Nemaya at FFN giving me two more potion names that actually make a bit more sense than two of mine, the final list I ended up using was: Strength, Courage, Fear, Passion, Love, Jealousy, Generosity, Energy, Speed, Truth.


	37. A Midsummer's Night...mare (Love Potion Number Nine) Part 2

Three days later, Diego was finally let out of the cuartel in order to join the fiesta already in progress, still wondering how he'd let himself get dragged into this business. Not that he'd had any real say in staying out of it once morning had come, as it appeared that Estevan had spent most of the night thinking out his plans, and when De Soto arrived just as stubbornly determined as he had been the previous night, Estevan greeted him like he was the answer to a prayer and evinced the utmost enthusiasm for the notion of trying out the truth potion on a larger group of people.

"Really?" De Soto said skeptically. "Last night you seemed rather reluctant."

"Well, that's because I don't like you," Estevan said cheerfully. "And I don't make it a habit of immediately agreeing with people I don't like."

"And now?" De Soto asked.

"And now, I see an opportunity to test my work out on a larger scale. Not that I think it will really help you find what you're looking for, as I doubt anyone in this benighted town has any idea of the identity of your bandit, but that's your lookout. Everyone has secrets they want to hide, so you may get something out of it. If nothing else, I get to see what kind of scandal a pueblo like this can brew up. It's all a lark really."

"And what about you, de la Vega?" De Soto had asked.

Estevan had jumped in before Diego could say anything. "I'll need him to help. This isn't simple, and you'll want it done quickly so no one starts asking too many questions about why we're still being held."

"Victoria is going to be asking questions," Diego pointed out.

"Once we talk to her, she'll be busy getting Ignacio's fiesta together."

"Yes, well, that should do it," De Soto said. "I'm sure if she understands her husband's release is contingent..."

"Alcalde, in that case, I believe I'll need to speak to Victoria personally," Diego interjected. "You know she'll insist."

"Of course, she will," De Soto said in exasperation. "The sooner we get this started the better."

"Exactly," Estevan said, pulling out a notebook from his pocket and tearing out a sheet. "And I have a list of items that I'll need. Including a supply of mezcal and agave wine to mix it with. If you don't have it, I suppose I could substitute something else, but it's not as likely to give us the best results."

"I'm pretty sure that Victoria doesn't have either," Diego interjected. "There hasn't been much of a call for it around here."

"You really have such limited tastes in these parts," Estevan said. "But the wine merchant in San Pedro, Señor Cava, usually keeps it on hand."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"I know my alcohol, Ignacio, and I was in fact planning on a stop at Señor Cava's after my visit to Los Angeles. He has the best supplies in this part of California."

"Fine. I'll send Mendoza," De Soto grumbled, as he took the paper. "What are these?"

"Some native plants that have the qualities that I need. Only the cacti should be tricky. Or prickly rather," Estevan said, and then with an air of nonchalance, added, "Or is it that you need diagrams; I have a book in my caravan which has illustrations of all the plants I'm using here."

"The Isley book?" Diego asked out of curiosity.

"Of course, it's the most thorough one," Estevan said. "Shall we get started, Ignacio? So little time, and so much to do."

De Soto still seemed a bit dazed by Estevan's apparently ready cooperation, but within a few hours, Estevan had De Soto personally out gathering cacti, while Diego was stuck helping set up Estevan's equipment in the cells. He had gotten to speak to Victoria only briefly, when she insisted before she would agree to hosting De Soto's party at the tavern.

He hadn't been able to talk to her alone. Not that he really needed to; Victoria was no fool. It was obvious that De Soto was up to something nefarious, but Diego trusted her to be suspicious and prepared, and he knew she trusted him to see to minimizing the possibilities of harm to anyone. 

And he did do his best; he knew and recognized many of the ingredients that Estevan was using, and they really were mostly harmless. The worst he could see happening was a possible hangover from the alcohol content or perhaps some slight nausea from the combination of some of the ingredients. At least he hoped so, but all the sleight of hand Estevan seemed to be doing in order to brew up something a bit separate for De Soto made him wonder if Estevan was planning to try to slip in a more potent version of his "truth" potion in the end. He wouldn't put it past him to want to prove to Diego that his potion had validity no matter if it had the potential to cause harm.

However, even knowing it was a very bad idea, despite himself, Diego had allowed himself to get drawn in even though he was working with his own possible distraction, which he hoped would not be necessary to use, but he wanted something that could be a fall back in the event of a total break down in events, even if he wasn't sure how useful it would be. It had been fortunate that Estevan had the elements he needed among his own supplies.

"Are you really sure about that, Diego?" Estavan asked.

"Not really, but there may come a point where we need a distraction, and this I _know_ is a harmless one."

"Tsk, tsk, you never trust me, though I am incredibly clever," Estevan said.

"Yes, clever but careless," Diego said. "At least to the consequences of your actions."

"Not always, and don't forget, you haven't always been a paragon of foresight either," Estavan said, as he pulled out a couple of curiously thick bandanas from a box and handed one to Diego. "Keep this. It will help block out some of the gases, especially as I would recommend the addition of ether to your little trick."

"No," Diego said flatly as he remembered the last time he'd used it and how it had backfired spectacularly on him, a reminder again, as if he needed one that he wasn't always as aware of the consequences of his own actions as he'd like to think. He sighed. However, he wasn't going to say anything aloud and give Estevan even more ammunition to use to convince him to go along with his plans. It was never wise to let Estevan get the high ground on any matter; he was altogether too persuasive, and Diego was already feeling too interested in the results of Estevan's experiment, mixed with a nervousness that his secret might not be as well kept as he would hope.

Estevan cocked a brow at his friend. "I think there's a very interesting story in that 'no,' Diego."

"If there is, it's not one I particularly want to share right now, especially as I still think this is a completely mad idea." _Fascinating, yet mad_.

"Of course it's mad," Estevan had said. "It wouldn't be any fun if it wasn't. Come on, Diego, in the end it will be no more than a bit of midsummer madness, easily passed over."

"I can only hope it will be that simple," Diego had said with a sigh as they went back to work.

Now, feeling a bit groggy and wondering if Estevan had slipped something to him the night before to make him sleep, adding to his general concern about what was happening, Diego stood next to his wife at a party ostensibly to celebrate some obscure Spanish victory that no one but De Soto seemed to have ever heard of. However, considering that attendance had been made compulsory and there was free food and drink, the people were remarkably uncurious. But then they always seemed to be. In a place like Los Angeles curiosity could be dangerous and most people decided not to risk the danger.

While Diego had a great respect for the people when they pulled together and he hated the way the alcaldes had dismissed them, he could just admit to himself that they often behaved as sheep, needing the protection of a shepherd to save them from wolves. He wondered if in this case he was stepping into the position of wolf, even if it was one trying to prevent the excesses of the others. And he had to wonder why when he got into these situations it was almost always because of Estevan. Well, maybe not almost always, but certainly a good number of times.

"I hope you haven't drunk anything you haven't prepared yourself," he murmured to Victoria.

"I haven't," she whispered back, handing him a glass of juice. "But I can't say the same for the rest of the crowd. Can you trust your friend?"

Diego shrugged slightly as the answer was too complicated to get into at the moment. Could he trust Estevan with his life? Almost certainly, though he likely would have been the one who endangered it in the first place. Could he trust him not to bring down more trouble on their heads? Not really, as Estevan's view of an acceptable risk only occasionally matched up with Diego's own. Did he really trust Estevan to go along with what they discussed? Not very likely at all. And now De Soto had a grin like a shark in school of wounded fish. 

Diego's eyes drifted around the tavern in a deceptively casual manner. There were several small globes attached to the garlands, globes of the same kind he and Estevan had been working with. Somehow he doubted that those were the ones _he_ had been working on. He was reminded of the bandana he still had in his pocket. What was his friend up to?

He had no more time to think as De Soto was now standing up in front of the crowd.

"Citizens of Los Angeles," he declaimed, "today we are here to celebrate the victory of Spanish forces over the rebel El Cuervo, showing that justice will and must prevail in our glorious monarchy. And to that end, a toast," He raised his glass, "to our king and may his justice always prevail."

De Soto drained his cup (which Diego was sure was not filled with the same as the rest of the cups) and then watched the crowd assiduously as they drank from their cups. Diego and Victoria both lifted their own, though Diego barely took a sip, as even if he trusted Victoria, he wasn't absolutely positive that no one could have tampered with her drinks. At this moment, he really wished he could make an appearance as Zorro, possibly all the more because it was so impossible. Between his imprisonment with Estevan and his late release to attend this party, it would be far too noticeable if he suddenly disappeared, and considering the actual purpose of the party, it would certainly do more harm to try. He could only hope that he could pull through this unscathed along with the rest of the population.

He noted that De Soto waited to speak again until after he was sure that everyone had drunk the toast.

"Thank you, good citizens," he finally declaimed. "And now to get to the more important part of this festivity, which is not just to honor the defeat of a notorious bandit. No—"

The alcalde paused dramatically, and Diego could see Estevan struggling to keep a straight face from his position to the back and side of him. Not that it was that obvious to anyone who did not know him. Diego felt the temptation to roll his own eyes at De Soto's pontificating.

De Soto's pregnant pause seemed about ready to go into labor before he continued, "No— this fiesta is also about capturing another notorious bandit, one whose identity has been hidden but which I'm determined to find. And to that end, I have seen that all the wine of this festival has been filled with a truth potion devised by Señor Estevan Valverde here in concert with Dr. Henry Wayne, a man I believe many of you will remember. At last, I will get past the lies and the secrets of this wretched pueblo and discover the truth, now that it cannot be hid."

The crowd looked around dazed and confused, many staring at the cups in their hands, others dropping them. 

"Come now," De Soto said. "The truth will set you free."

"Not likely!" someone shouted, while the crowd laughed nervously.

"I only want Zorro," De Soto said. "Now surely, someone knows something. Speak up, and tell the truth."

There was silence for a moment, when surprisingly Mendoza was the first person that spoke up. "Well, I first thought Zorro was a demon," he said, nervously. "But he's more like a guardian angel, but a humanish one. Or may be a rootless wanderer who chose Los Angeles as his place to protect."

De Soto shook his head incredulously. "Someone has to actually know something."

"I think he's a former outlaw— a bad one, I mean— or a maybe pirate, who's atoning for some great sin," Alicia said. "So he fights for the poor and oppressed to make up for his former crimes."

The dam broken, there was a sudden babble of conversation though the next to be heard clearly was Don Arturo who said, "I think there's a whole line of Zorros one passing the mask on to the other as they get tired of it. Maybe living in the mountains, certainly not one of the people."

"I always thought it was a bored caballero looking for adventure or too frightened to fight without a disguise. You know someone like Don Diego or Don Ricardo," Sepulveda said before Mendoza smacked the back of his head telling him not to be an idiot.

"He couldn't be a caballero," Doña Maria sniffed. "They are too proud to hide their faces. Maybe a vaquero, one who's traveled. We have a lot of those, men whose pasts we know nothing about."

"I think he's a man horribly scarred who wears the mask to hide them and fights for justice in order to feel some sense of belonging. That must be why he only flirted with Victoria and stepped aside so easily for Don Diego because he knew he could never have a normal life and had only been fooling himself," said Teresa. "He probably lives in some cave somewhere."

"Oh, no, I'm sure he has to be very handsome under the mask," said another girl. "It's just to keep us from knowing how romantic a figure he really is."

De Soto's head seemed ready to spin at the theories being thrown out, but his attempts to get them under control went unheaded, as some arguing was starting out in the increasingly agitated crowd.

"Or maybe he's part of a pair of hidden twins both living the same identity so that he can be in two places at once which is why no one knows who he is," said young Alvarez, who Diego knew had a great love of sensational fiction.

"That's ridiculous," his father said. "How would twins be hidden and why would they be hidden all their lives? No one would do that on the off chance they'd need to become a masked bandit, even if crooked alcaldes are more common than honest ones."

"Well, I don't want to know who or what he is or why he does what he does. As long as he keeps doing what he's doing," Señor Peralta said. "It's so much safer for the rest of us."

"Sí, why would we want to know who he is?" someone else asked. "We'd just get more threats and oppression."

"And if it wasn't for crooked leaders there wouldn't even be a need for Zorro at all."

"That's true. And now he's using black arts to try to make us say things we don't know and don't want to know."

There were shouts of agreement. De Soto started to look a bit nervous. Diego was getting a bit anxious as well as the people who weren't focusing on De Soto were busily starting arguments among themselves. It seemed that the urge to air various hidden grievances had become irresistible in the high tension of the room. Victoria was busy trying to calm down the girls who were now arguing over the relative attractiveness/romantic qualities of Zorro. That was at least better than her trying to get between the two brothers arguing over the placement of a particular lemon tree or the husband and wife arguing over who insulted whose parents at a family dinner ten years before.

Estevan was still hanging to the back of the room standing near one of the support beams. Diego didn't think it was because he wanted something to lean on. Diego started in that direction, but he found himself caught up in the increasingly rowdy crowd. As the hostility toward him was increasing, De Soto called out for the lancers. His calling for help rather than calming the crowd made them even more agitated, and Diego could only watch as someone suddenly threw a jug of the drugged wine at De Soto, who in attempting to duck managed to place his head directly in the path of the jug. 

Time seemed to slow down, as Diego saw De Soto fall, and almost immediately afterwards there were the sounds of small crashes around the tavern and a sudden billowing of smoke. Before it rose up enough, Diego saw Estevan with his thick bandana across his face, and almost without thinking he pulled out his own and held it in front of his own, just as members of the crowd started collapsing. Turning to where Victoria was, Diego almost vaulted over the crowd to get to her, not that anyone was in a position to notice as they were either coughing or falling unconscious themselves.

He caught Victoria before she fell and with some difficulty managed to get her outside the tavern into the fresh air. When he was sure she was all right, he headed back into the tavern and started throwing open the windows. It was disconcerting seeing so many people sprawled out on the floor, rather like a fairy tale. Unfortunately, despite the fact that he considered Victoria more lovely than Sleeping Beauty, he didn't think true love's kiss would break the spell, not that he would have minded trying. He could only take comfort in the fact that they weren't going to be sleeping for a hundred years.

Once the windows were open, Diego took the time to look for Estevan who was at the moment crouching over De Soto forcing some kind of liquid down his throat.

"What are you doing?" Diego asked.

"It's my little bonus," Estevan said. "If it works, our little Ignacio will forget the last three days ever happened."

"And if it doesn't?"

Estevan shrugged. "Well, he could forget everything before today or nothing at all. I can't be entirely sure."

"I wish I could say that I didn't believe you could be that cavalier," Diego said, then looking around. "What did you add to my smoke bombs?"

"The ether of course," Estevan said. "I knew we'd need something more than a smokescreen, once things got started. It's certainly more effective. I mean what did you expect us to be able to do under a cloud cover."

Diego looked at his friend in exasperation. "If _this_ was your ultimate plan, then why didn't you do this earlier before things started to get out of hand?"

"What would be the fun in that, Diego?" Estevan said. Then his expression turned slightly sheepish. "All right. To be honest, I wasn't sure it _would_ work, and thus to give it the greatest chance of success, I had to wait until everyone was sufficiently distracted. Which they were. So there you go."

"And what are we supposed to do?"

Estevan looked at the group on the floor. "Well I would suggest we move a few people about, otherwise you might end up having some interesting marriages coming out of this. Or possibly a nasty spat or two."

"Be serious."

"Fine," Estevan said. "What I suggest is that we put Ignacio in his bed, and then I leave while you convince the good people of the pueblo that it would be for the best if they all forget anything happened. That it was all a kind of Midsummer's daydream."

"More like a Midsummer's nightmare," Diego said.

"Either way, I'm your Robin Goodfellow spreading a bit of folly about."

"You really intend to leave me to deal with your mess again," Diego said.

"Trust me, it will be much easier to deal with the crowd with me being gone. Otherwise they'll be too busy wanting to blame me, if not Ignacio."

Diego had to admit he had a point, but he couldn't help but remember the last time they'd tried a mass conspiracy in Los Angeles and it hadn't gone well. However, in this case, it might just work, if only they managed to come up with a good enough excuse for the alcalde to explain his loss of memory. They certainly couldn't use the fever excuse again. Diego leaned in to check De Soto. He had a nasty bump forming on his head, either from the jug or his fall. That should do it, but how to explain that without implicating anybody.

As if reading his mind, Estevan piped up. "Tell him that he hit his head while crossing the plaza. He could have slipped in fresh horse droppings. I would be glad to drag his boots through some for verisimilitude."

Diego sighed. This might be the best way to go, if De Soto actually forgot what happened. And it _would_ be a far more simple story than the one they had tried to make work the last time. They wouldn't be trying to convince him he'd been unconscious for a week, just that he'd lost memory from a hit to the head, and he was sure that the people would be in no hurry to remind De Soto of anything that happened.

"Fine," Diego said. "We'll get him into bed and hope for the best, as I can't think of anything else at the moment that isn't worse. But first let's get some of this," he gestured at the people on the ground, "straightened out."

There really weren't too many people trapped in awkward positions, so within a few minutes, they were hauling De Soto across the street in a makeshift stretcher, as Diego didn't want to risk adding more injury to the man, at least not today. The two of them managed to get De Soto out of his clothes and into a night shirt; then Estevan disappeared with De Soto's clothes and boots while Diego did a quick check to be sure that De Soto didn't seem to be doing any worse.

Leaving to go back to check on his wife, Diego was brought up short by the sight of Estevan in De Soto's clothes skidding across the dirt of the plaza next to the fountain. Considering that De Soto was a good four inches taller than Estevan, he looked a bit ridiculous, though Diego guessed that it made it easier for Estevan to slip the clothes over his own.

"Verisimilitude," Estevan said, as he got up. "His clothes need to be dirty too. Now, I need to get these back and depart before any of your good citizens wake up."

Diego knew that was probably for the best and that Estevan probably had far too much experience in knowing when to leave town before the angry mob formed. _Leaving the consequences to others_ , Diego thought uncharitably, before remembering the times when _he_ hadn't really thought through the consequences of his actions, or the times when he'd been equally complicit, like that horse race involving jumping one nasty gap as well as a few other particularly dangerous obstacles. Nothing which really had matched the risks he had assumed on donning the mask of Zorro. Not that he regretted the good that he had done as Zorro, but if he had thought things through a little more in the beginning he believed he would have done some things differently.

Victoria was awake when he got to her, though sitting with her head in her hands. "What was that?" she muttered.

"A surprise from Estevan," Diego said. "For when things got out of hand."

"As we all knew they would," Victoria said grimly, holding a hand up for Diego to help her up. "Now what is going to happen?" she asked as she practically fell against Diego as she stood.

"I don't know," Diego said, holding her close as she steadied herself. "He doused our alcalde with something that he said would make him forget the last few days happened or possibly everything that's happened before today or..."

"I see," Victoria said. "And what about everyone else? I certainly remember what happened."

"They should too," Diego said. "However, I think it is in the best interests of the town that everyone conveniently forgets what happened."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Victoria said. "Not even the lancers will want to bring this up."

"Mendoza will make sure of that."

"Self-preservation as well. They won't want to remind the alcalde of how useless they were... again," Victoria said. "And if there's anything this pueblo is good at, it's not saying anything, except under extreme protest."

Diego was about to reply when he saw Estevan's caravan exit the gate of the cuartel.

"He's leaving?" Victoria exclaimed the moment she saw it.

"Safer for him, don't you think?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Definitely, as I would like to douse him with his own potions."

"You probably will not be alone in that," Diego said, "which is why it's for the best that he leave as soon as possible."

"That way the people will only blame our alcalde, not that he doesn't deserve it and much more."

"True, though happily he's not clever enough to come up with something like this again on his own," Diego said.

"Thank goodness, but he's getting more desperate to trap Zorro. This was... loco," Victoria said.

Diego had been watching Estevan who'd been moving a bit slowly as crossed the plaza, and now he pulled to a stop in front of the tavern. In a quick motion he jumped down in front of the couple.

"Well, I've dumped Ignacio's clothes. He's still sleeping the sleep of the damned, by the way."

"And you would know, I suppose," Victoria said.

"Afraid so, dear lady," Estevan said with a grin. "Do forgive me for taking off with so little ceremony."

"You have enough experience with it," Diego said.

"True, true," Estevan said. "Such is my lot in life. Lucky for me that there are always new places to visit. Perhaps I'll stop by again in a year or so."

"Are you sure that will be enough time?" Victoria asked, no longer sounding quite so irritated but still not too warm.

"People tend to have rather short memories all things considered," Estevan said. "And if we're all lucky, Ignacio will have moved on to either greener or browner pastures, and then we can have a proper visit. One with some real excitement and fun."

Diego rolled his eyes. "Oh, certainly. We wouldn't want anything as tedious as this visit to happen again."

Estevan grinned again before saying, "Well, until then, my friend, try to have some fun of your own." He turned to Victoria and took her hand, giving it a rather theatrical kiss. "Ah, señora, it has been a pleasure, though I'm afraid you'll have your work cut out for you as Diego has been quite surly these last few days."

"He hasn't been the only one," Victoria said. "Now you had best be on your way before you're forced to face more than a few more than surly people."

"Never fear," Estevan said as he leaped back up into his seat. "I'm always ready to be on my way. Adiós." A moment later his wagon was moving forward.

Diego and Victoria waved as he moved out of sight.

"So that was your friend Estevan," Victoria said.

"I'm afraid so," Diego replied.

"He's..." Victoria seemed to struggle to find the right words.

"Undefinable," Diego said, though he could probably try. Clever, strangely likeable while at the same time being absolutely infuriating.

"I suppose," Victoria said. "Now though I think we need to makes sure everything is taken care of before the alcalde awakes."

"It's not as if we haven't had to do this before," Diego said, with a mild smile. "This time, hopefully, it will work out better."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next few hours had been very busy ones. It had taken some time to revive everyone, and then more time to make sure everyone was clear and agreeing on keeping silent about what happened that day. Not that anyone showed any signs of reluctance on the matter as most of them were too busy avoiding eye contact with each other, but Diego had to make sure everyone was clearheaded enough to understand it. He thought it was fortunate for his friend that most people thought of De Soto and Dr. Wayne in relation to the incident and not of him. Actually, Diego had felt fortunate that no one was blaming _him_ as he had been involved—reluctantly, true—but involved nonetheless.

Now he had only to wait for De Soto to finally return to consciousness and see where they needed to go from there. Of course, he knew where he wanted to go, and that was home with his wife, or to be more accurate, home to bed with his wife. It had been a long three days without her.

The moment that De Soto showed any signs of consciousness Diego brought out the smelling salts to revive him more quickly. De Soto spluttered a bit before focusing in on Diego with suspicion.

"What are you doing here, de la Vega?" he barked.

"Looking after you, alcalde," Diego said mildly. "You hit your head rather badly today." _Or rather your head_ was _hit rather badly today._

"What? How?"

"I was told you slipped as you were crossing the plaza and hit the fountain." _Not a lie at all_.

"Ridiculous," De Soto said.

Diego chose to ignore that and get on with the more critical part which was to establish what De Soto remembered. "Can you tell me what today's date is?"

"What a ridiculous question," De Soto huffed. "It's Monday, the 19th of July, 18— of course."

Diego managed to keep a look of concern on his face as he concealed his amazement that Estevan's potion seemed to have worked. Of course, it could merely be a byproduct of the blow to De Soto's head. "Alcalde, it's Thursday."

"Nonsense," De Soto said. "It can't be Thursday. I refuse to be taken in by that ruse again. What are you trying to hide this time?"

"It's no ruse," Diego said. "Send a messenger to the next garrison if you like. Though be prepared for them to wonder at your competence or mental stability that you needed to do it. You took a blow to the head today, and while memory loss is worrying, it is not uncommon. I'd even say that it is better than thinking you're either the head of a gang or Zorro himself. We wouldn't want that now, would we? Imagine the possibility of people believing that Zorro was a ruse of the alcalde used in order justify more stringent laws and draconian measures."

Diego went silent and let De Soto ponder the possibilities. He believed it helped that De Soto could not think of anything particular that happened recently that would justify another massive coverup.

Finally, De Soto said, "How was I supposed to have slipped?"

"I don't like to say," Diego said. "Suffice it to say that Sgt Mendoza is busily cleaning your boots right now, and your clothes are in need of laundering."

De Soto was silent again, and Diego was content to do the same. They were like that for another minute when Sgt Mendoza came bustling in followed by Dr. Hernandez.

"Don Diego, the doctor's here..." Mendoza stopped short when he saw De Soto glaring at him from the bed. "Oh, alcalde, you're awake."

"If I wasn't, that voice of yours would have done it," De Soto grumbled. "I want to see my boots."

"But I haven't finished cleaning them yet," Mendoza said.

"Bring them."

Diego took a moment to explain to Dr. Hernandez about De Soto's head injury and loss of memory. From the doctor's expression and the way he asked his very circumspect questions Diego believed that Victoria had filled him in on what actually had happened, so that he was properly prepared for whatever he might be dealing with. Mendoza had brought in the boots by this time, and while there had been an initial cleaning, there was still evidence of what they had been slid into. De Soto grumbled that somehow this must have been Zorro's fault and told Mendoza to get on with it, while Dr. Hernandez took over.

De Soto said a begrudging thanks to Diego before basically dismissing him. Not minding, Diego left with the hope that the worst was behind them and the whole incident could be forgotten by everyone as thoroughly as it had been by the alcalde.

~Z~Z~Z~

"I'm still surprised it's all worked out so well," Victoria said sleepily, as she lay in Diego's arms, her head resting on his shoulder. "The alcalde really did forget only the time that your friend was here."

Diego let his fingers caress her bare back. Once they had managed to return to the hacienda they had retired early to make up for all the time they had been separated for the past few days, and only now were they in the mood to discuss other matters, though he wasn't sure how long either would stay awake.

"I am surprised too," he murmured. "Though I suppose it is possible that De Soto could remember what happened sometime in the future, though mad as the events were, it is more likely that he'd think it some strange dream or hallucination, especially with no one admitting anything happened." Diego sighed. "I wish our alcalde could also have forgotten what an unjust man he has been."

"Now _that_ would be too much of a miracle to ask for," Victoria said.

"True, and I'm afraid that in Los Angeles miracles are rather hit and miss," he said.

"Well, at least Los Angeles' greatest miracle is more predictable."

"Zorro?" Diego asked.

"No," she leaned up and kissed his jaw," you."

"I don't know about Los Angeles, but as miracles go," he ran his fingers across her cheek and through her hair, "I have my own."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any one has read my other LPN9 story ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love"), you are well aware of just how much I loathe this episode, but I'm not going into that here, though I will say I am convinced that "Love Potion Number Nine" was originally meant to be a Ramone script but was for some reason shelved for some time and then dusted off with a minimal rewrite to make it a De Soto story.
> 
> In any event since I've already done a Ramone version with the love potion (where I was very careful with how I played with its effects), I was determined that this version use a different one, as honestly I am rather uncomfortable with the use of "love" potions in any medium. While often played as comedy, the fact that the person is often not in control of their actions and may in fact end up doing things they would deeply regret is too close to sexual coercion for my tastes.
> 
> I did do a little research on "truth serums" while writing this story, specifically plants with that tendency. I even found a tree in South America whose seeds could cause a person to lose their will, as well as the flora that form the basis of Scopolamine, the initial truth serum of the 20th century. However, I am pretty much sticking with the fictional rather than realistic effectiveness when it comes to the truth potion, especially when my plot started drifting into rather campy areas as I was plotting it out.
> 
> As well, the victory against El Cuervo mentioned by De Soto is totally fictional and was decided before I added in the Red Skunk reference, mainly because De Soto needed an excuse and cuervo is Spanish for raven, one of the common trickster figures of folklore. I hadn't really intended to double up on the animal references, but I felt a compelling need to add in an example of youthful hijinks by Estevan and Diego and making a bully smell like a skunk popped into my head, and then when I checked and found that the Spanish for skunk is Zorillo, the additional joking about Zorro and Zorrillo followed. 
> 
> All in all this story ended up probably encompassing far more pop culture references than any other of my stories (though I can't be sure as I tend to slip in various references even if only in character names). In point of fact, after some consideration and frustration with how dull the story seemed to be in the beginning, I decided in honor of Adam West aka Dr. Henry Wayne, and go a bit Batman when it came to the potions, rather than try to make this story any more believable than the original. The eventual effects of the truth potion causing arguments was an homage to a Riddler story where he spiked the lemonade at a Temperance party to make it a temper party ("Death in Slow Motion"/ "The Riddler's False Notion"). De Soto's amnesia is of course inspired by the cliche Batnesia gas; the easy go to method of ensuring no one ever remembered where the Batcave was.
> 
> And even before that, the whole bit where I was coming up with the crazy theories that people had about Zorro's identity was inspired by a Batman: The Animated Series episode ("Legends of the Dark Knight") in which some kids are telling each other their own ideas about Batman (which were actually inspired by various comic incarnations of the Dark Knight), and I think there was another episode where some villains were speculating as well in a more random fashion (I think that one may be "Almost Got 'Im" which is a favorite of mine but I haven't seen it for a while, favorite lines being "I threw a rock at him... It was a big rock."). And of course the Isley book mentioned is an homage to Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy, who, to put it mildly, has a major plant obsession.
> 
> And then along after the Batman references, or more like hopping in the background until they managed to get my attention were the Shakespeare and Fairy Tale ones, and thus the story's title, which was a late change as for the longest time I was calling this "Nothing but the Truth." But considering how I've seen Estevan as a trickster figure, having him being Puck (Robin Goodfellow) is not such a stretch though again he's not tricking with love potion. And for the Sleeping Beauty reference, I'm thinking that Diego would be more familiar with the Charles Perrault version, since he was published in the 18th century and the Grimm's brothers were far more contemporary (to the point that I'm not sure how far outside of Germany they would have been available at the time). Not that it ultimately matters in the story.
> 
> Also thanks to Frapper at FFN for the insult capullo, which I really hope is teen-rated, as my lack of knowledge of the nuances of swearing and slang in other languages is one of the reasons I tend to avoid insults/swearing I haven't already seen in Zorro, but I did want to use something here.


	38. Hail and Farewell (In place of "An Affair to Remember")

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felipe returns from his trip, and Diego's aunt and uncle prepare to return to Monterey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "An Affair to Remember" was written by Gary Stephen Rieck; however the only thing really to come from that episode was the bandits at the beginning, and they are used in an entirely different context.

Diego was feeling restless that morning. Something didn't seem right though he hadn't entirely put his finger on it. Perhaps it was just that he was eager to see Felipe and his aunt and uncle again. From their last letter they were due to arrive that evening. It had been nearly two months since he'd seen them, though it felt longer. Not that he and Victoria hadn't been keeping themselves occupied, but things just weren't the same without Felipe around.

Spending the morning getting out the paper, Diego tried to reason himself out of the unsettled feeling or failing that discover a genuine cause. Something was niggling at him, but it wasn't until he was in the tavern eating lunch with Victoria and spotted Sgt. Mendoza that it hit him. A half overheard conversation about a gang of bandits to the south and something about a scheduled gold shipment which had been delayed. Of course, it could mean nothing at all, but with his family traveling the road, he thought that it might be a good idea to give Toronado some exercise and a ride to the south would be just the thing. 

He knew that it was a bit risky, but he knew that area much better than the lancers, and he wasn't going to take any chances with the safety of his family. He made his excuses to Victoria, saying that he needed to get back home to finish up an experiment. She easily read between the lines and wished him well and to ask his father if he had gotten any word on their family's journey.

He also understood that well enough as this would be the first time he had ridden out as Zorro since his father had learned the secret, and just in case something unexpected happened, it would be as well to let him know exactly what excuse was covering his absence. It wasn't something Diego was entirely comfortable with doing, but he had to show his father some level of trust, especially since Don Alejandro had returned from Santa Barbara feeling somewhat discouraged by the trip.

They all knew that this was going to take time, a lot of it, as they'd gotten nowhere in removing Luis Ramone who was more blatantly corrupt than De Soto. However, they did have some hope that they could be successful in getting him transferred away. After all, _De Soto's_ ultimate goal was to leave California in glory; if they could find something that offered that to him more easily than a fruitless search for a bandit that wouldn't be caught, they had a good chance. Of course, getting rid of De Soto would do little good if he was replaced with someone equally as bad.

What Don Alejandro had managed to do in his travels was to work on pressing the notion that Los Angeles be allowed again to elect its own alcalde and to point out that the size of the pueblo really did not justify having anyone higher than a sergeant in charge of the cuartel, and that there was no justification for one man to be in both positions. Of course, they had been making that argument for some time, and Mendoza had truly fallen down on the job during his one stint in the post. But that was some time ago, and Diego believed that given a second chance with a properly elected alcalde instead of him being both alcalde and comandante, Mendoza would do much better.

None of this mattered at the moment, however, as Diego found his father and let him know what he was up to and what he told Victoria he was going to do, just in case there was any need to cover for him in the end. It was rather a disconcerting experience, though the expression in his father's eyes almost made it worthwhile.

It was also good to really give Toronado a chance to stretch his legs, even if they had been getting regular though somewhat limited exercise. He took care in the route south to avoid any of De Soto's patrols which, despite his efforts to the contrary, were still ridiculously predictable. It didn't take a great mind to figure out the lancer's patterns. Another reason to have some concern. One good scout would be all it would take. Though he rather imagined that De Soto felt that the mere presence of the lancers would be a deterrent.

He was soon distracted from his thoughts by the sound of thundering hooves and the sight of a wagon tearing down the road ahead of him. As he took it in, he could see Felipe leaning over urging the horses and inside he could just make out the figures of his uncle and aunt braced in the back, guns drawn looking behind them. Beyond them he could just make out four— no, wait— six horsemen. Not good odds, though he could see that Felipe was running the wagon down the most direct route towards the pueblo and the afternoon patrol of the lancers. And by chance they would be running through where the road narrowed between two rocky hillsides. One that was prey to the occasional rock slide. If he could reach it quickly, he might be able to cause one of his own— after the wagon had safely passed.

Turning Toronado, he raced to reach the top of the nearest hill. Quickly he found a large rock that seemed to have already been partially destabilized by recent rains. He looked down and saw the wagon nearing the spot. This would take careful timing and more than a little luck. Too soon and the wagon would be trapped, leaving him with not time to get to them, too late and it would have been a wasted effort, and he would still have not time to catch up. Gauging as best he could, he started kicking at the rock. It took a few hits before it started down, but it picked up speed quickly carrying a number of smaller rocks with it.

The rocks hit the road almost as the riders reached that section, kicking up a cloud of dust as they impacted the ground. Zorro could hear the horses rearing as he quickly remounted Toronado and made his way down the hillside. The men and horses were little more than shadows in the dust, making it difficult for him to see as well but they didn't know what had happened or that he was barreling down on them, an advantage he intended to press to the full.

As he entered the cloud, he passed by a horse with an empty saddle, its rider standing next to it, rubbing his eyes and looking about in a confused manner. Toronado galloped past and Zorro put the bandit flat on his back with a perfectly placed kick. Without so much as a pause in his stride, he raced on to the next closest man and knocked him out of his saddle with a clothesline punch.

The wind was beginning to scatter some of the dust and the remaining four men were now aware of their masked adversary's arrival. They began moving toward him as one of them yelled at the other two, "Get him! Now!" However, it did them little good as Zorro sent his whip flying round the neck of the closest one and in a single motion pulled him from his horse as he dismounted his own. He drew his whip back and cracked it several times in rapid succession at the faces of the horses, far enough away to not hit them but more than sufficient to make them rear back and throw their riders.

One was knocked out on impact but another was only slightly shaken and quickly got back to his feet, a situation Zorro remedied with a well placed fist. This left only the man who had been barking orders. He reached for his pistol and quick as he was, Zorro was quicker. His hand was barely on his weapon when he felt the point of a sword against his chest. 

"Please, señor," Zorro smiled slightly, "you have already had a difficult enough day. It would be a shame for it to get any worse."

Not too long after that the bandits found themselves tied up with their own ropes, a neat Z cut into their coats, ready for the lancers, whose horses Zorro could hear coming as he finished up with the last man. In a trice he was back on Toronado and making his way back up the hill before the lancers came into sight, though he could see them from his position before he turned to head in the general direction of where the wagon had gone. He intended to see that his family was safe before heading back to the hacienda.

He finally found them with a lancer escorting them towards the pueblo. He saluted them from a distance before dashing to make it back to the cave.

~Z~Z~Z~

After seeing to Toronado and changing back into his clothes, Diego made his way back into the hacienda, where his father was waiting for him.

"Well?" he asked.

"There was a bit of trouble, but our family's fine," Diego said. "I expect they're in the pueblo by now."

"We should go then," Alejandro said.

"On what excuse?" Diego asked, wanting to make sure his father stopped and thought before he acted. Or perhaps hoping he would do so.

"To see Victoria and to find out if there's any news about Cecilio and Magdalena," Alejandro said after a pause. "After all, it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to stop at the tavern first, nor that I'd drag you away from your experiments to do so. And frankly, do you really need an excuse to visit with your wife?"

"Well, no," Diego said, feeling a sense of relief; things were still a bit off balance between the two of them. He was trying to trust in his father, but after so long in hiding it was no simple thing to rely on him. "The pueblo it is then."

~Z~Z~Z~

They arrived just in time to see Mendoza and some lancers leading the gang into the cuartel.

"What's going on, Sergeant?" Don Alejandro asked.

Mendoza came over. "We've got the Guerrero gang," he said, before lowering his voice. "Or rather Zorro did. And a good thing too. They were chasing Felipe and Don Cecilio and Doña Magdalena at the time."

"Are they all right?" Diego asked.

"Oh, sí, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "Felipe was driving like the devil and kept ahead of them until Zorro did... well... what he does. Anyway, they're all in the tavern with Doña Victoria."

"Well, then we'd better go see them," Don Alejandro said.

They crossed the plaza to enter the tavern to find the group in animated conversation with Victoria. Diego was glad to see that aside from appearing a bit disheveled, they all looked well, especially Felipe. He had really missed his friend, despite the very real happiness of being a newlywed man. There had been letters, of course, but they had been scarce and while he could sometimes read between the lines, they couldn't really tell him all he wanted to know.

The next few minutes were consumed with chaotic greetings and hugs before Don Alejandro said, "I hear Felipe is once again a hero for his fast driving."

Felipe shook his head a little looking abashed, though Cecilio said, "I've never seen anyone with such a gift. I don't know if we'd have made it without him. Those bandits were pretty hard on our heels. Not that that should be any kind of surprise, as Felipe is an amazing young man."

"Of course he is," Don Alejandro said, jovially.

Diego who was standing near Felipe asked him, "How are you?"

"Good," he signed.

Victoria who had been speaking with Magdalena spoke up, "Don Alejandro, is Maria still expecting us all for dinner?"

"Yes, indeed, and the sooner we get home to her the better."

"I believe we're due a _quiet_ family celebration," Diego said with a touch of humor.

"Well, there's nothing more holding us here now that that gang has been brought in," Cecilio said. "And I, for one, am looking forward to a peaceful evening."

"Indeed, Uncle Cecilio. Why don't we all get going?" Diego watched everyone begin filing toward the door while Victoria gave a few parting instructions to Señor Calvillo. _Yes_ , Diego mused, _I think we could all do with a little less excitement._

~Z~Z~Z~

On the way back to the hacienda, Diego and Felipe ended up driving the wagon while the rest rode in the carriage, as Diego wanted to be able to speak to Felipe alone before reaching the hacienda, and as the trip would not be a long one, Diego spoke as soon as they were out past the pueblo.

"Father knows the truth about Zorro."

"When?" Felipe signed, looking only slightly surprised.

"Did you get the letter about his misadventure?"

Felipe nodded.

"I know I was vague about the details, but he stumbled into the cave and hit his head and when he woke he thought he was a mixture of Zorro and Don Quixote. It was after he came to himself. He thought it was a dream at first and then realized it wasn't, and well, he knew."

"Does he know about me?" Felipe signed.

"He knows that you've been helping me," Diego said. "But not about the fact that you can hear. I thought that was your secret to share."

Felipe looked a little unsure.

"I know. I know," Diego said. "But Victoria knows and Uncle Cecilio and Aunt Magdalena as well. And that hasn't been bad, has it?"

Felipe shook his head, then signed, "How has it been with you?"

"Strange," Diego said after a moment. "It's taking some getting used to. But it is better, and I don't think you need to be afraid of his reaction, when you choose to tell him."

Felipe stared at him.

"Well, I know you want to stop pretending you can't hear some time, and he'd have to know then, obviously, and he should hear it before the rest of the pueblo."

"I'm not quite ready for that," Felipe signed.

"I understand, but still consider telling my father," Diego said. "It might be better than his figuring it out on his own, but I won't press you on the issue. It's up to you."

For awhile, Felipe looked thoughtfully off into the distance but at length signed, "I'll think about it."

~Z~Z~Z~

Dinner was boisterous and filled with details of the trip south, as well as Diego's father's less than serious yet somewhat boastful version of his brief time as Zorro Quixote as he now liked to refer to his delusion, though he did it rarely.

"And despite it all, I still managed to catch two notorious bandits," Alejandro said. "Though admittedly they too were a bit long in the tooth. Nonetheless, it was a definitely mixed triumph considering I was unmasked immediately afterwards."

"Well, you are an old fox who tilts at windmills, not too surprising at that," Uncle Cecilio said. "And who better to set at two older coyotes." He grinned before changing the subject. "Have I told you about the condors I saw south of San Diego? The largest birds I have ever seen. Truly magnificent wing span."

Diego was struck by the fact that regardless of everyone's knowledge of a very particular secret, absolutely everyone was equally particular not to mention it while there was a chance of it being overheard. But then he preferred it that way. He really had no desire to speak too much of Zorro. It was so much safer and less likely to open up a debate on the topic.

"There was so much to see. California is filled with wonders," Aunt Magdalena said. "Not to mention the various artisans who have mastered the materials of the new world as well as the old."

"Or the sports," Uncle Cecilio said. "Alejandro, you really must hear the story of Felipe's winning a truly breathtaking horse race, as well as the admiration of a number of young ladies."

Felipe looked a bit abashed and shook his head slightly, as Cecilio continued on unheedingly.

"Most especially, a determined young lady by the name of... what was it, dearest?... something very apropos..."

"Eufémia, dear."

"Oh, yes, of course, I don't think the girl drew breath from the moment she met Felipe, she was such an enthusiastic speaker. The poor boy was rescued briefly by her quieter friend... Lupe... who was I think more to his taste, or at least a better conversationalist considering she had a deaf grandfather."

Alejandro grinned. "It sounds like you had quite an interesting adventure. You know, I was a bit of a heart breaker in my youth too."

Felipe shook his head. "It was about the horses really..." he signed.

"I think it was probably about the charming young man as well," Victoria said. "But tell us about the race."

Felipe looked at Cecilio, who nodded. "Felipe was riding for your cousin Sebastian. A dappled grey Andalusian rather appropriately named Tempest as it suited both his coat and his temperament."

"Naturally," Alejandro said. "And how many horses in the race?"

"Seven, a lucky number, at least for Felipe," Cecilio said. "The course was rather rough, as there had been an uncharacteristic rain a day before the race was to be run. And the worst of the competitors was the one riding for Don Claudio Verdugo."

"Isn't he the one who was Sebastian's chief rival for Isabel?"

"Apparently, and he still holds a grudge. I think more for not gaining the land than the lady. He's no true caballero that one," Cecilio said.

"However, he did have the second fastest horse," Magdalena said.

"It would have been better if he hadn't tried to cheat."

"It didn't end up affecting the outcome, thanks to Felipe's riding skills. His rider barely had a chance," Magdalena said.

"A considerable wound to his overly inflated pride. And the fact that he slipped in the mud while he was protesting afterward certainly didn't do much for what little dignity he had left," Cecilio said.

"I dare say he ended up looking like the fool he was, much like the bandits who thought they could catch a team being driven by such a skilled horseman" his wife responded with a smile directed at Felipe.

"Indeed," Cecilio agreed. "Of course, that rock slide was most fortuitous and then to have Zorro of all people happen along I'm sure did little to improve their afternoon." Cecilio shot a quick glance at Diego and then shared a devilish smile with his wife.

"Oh yes," Alejandro chimed in. "We mustn't forget that Felipe wasn't the only hero in the pueblo today."

"Certainly not," Victoria said. "Bringing in six desperate criminals is no easy task. What do you think, Diego?"

Diego shifted a bit in his seat as the conversation drifted uncomfortable close to the subject he had been enjoying avoiding. "I...uh...," he started.

"Yes?"

"I think you're right and neither is bringing in dessert. I think I should go help Maria."

~o~O~o~

Almost everyone retired soon after dinner. It had been a long day for the travelers though Cecilio and Alejandro waved everyone off as they sat determinedly at the chess board. Diego also assumed that other topics were likely to be raised once they were alone, but he did not overly worry about it, as both men knew the importance of discretion in these matters, and he preferred to concentrate more on watching Victoria as she prepared for bed.

"It is good to have Felipe home," she said. "Though I am not looking forward to your aunt and uncle leaving for Monterey."

"Nor am I, but I doubt we can get them to change their minds," Diego said. "But we can talk about it with them tomorrow."

"I suppose," Victoria said, climbing into bed with her husband. "How was your talk with Felipe? You didn't have much time today."

"No, but I did get to tell him the most important things," Diego said, before kissing her. Victoria curled up close to him. He traced his fingers along her jaw and down her neck. "As for the rest...," he murmured.

"As for the rest?"

"It can wait until later."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next day, Don Alejandro rode out to check a problem with the vaqueros while Felipe wanted to spend some time with Toronado. Diego and Victoria invited Doña Magdalena and Don Cecilio to ride out with them for a picnic. If anyone thought it was odd that they'd go out the day after returning from a long trip, no one mentioned anything about it.

As they were riding out, Diego and Don Cecilio slightly ahead of the ladies, Cecilio said, "So now your father knows."

"Yes," Diego said. "It's been a bit awkward, though I think the fact that he spent a couple of weeks away almost immediately helped somewhat. But still..."

"It _is_ an adjustment," Don Cecilio said. "From my talk with your father, it seems as if he's torn between pride and mortification. And I don't blame him... nor you, Diego. Don't get the idea that I do. I can only imagine how difficult things have been since you've gotten home. So much to handle and so many people to protect. But it's good that you have more allies now."

"Yes, I never expected it to be more than me and Felipe. But then I also never expected it to last for years, or I would have done a lot of things differently." Diego shrugged.

"Hindsight is always so clear. A pity foresight is like trying to peer through a thick fog," Cecilio said.

"True," Diego said, before pulling Esperanza to a halt. "And here we are." It was a nicely sheltered grove by the river, not the one that he and Victoria went to but just as pleasant.

Diego and Don Cecilio spread the blankets as the ladies arrived and soon they had everything set up to eat.

As they were eating, Don Cecilio said, "About the current situation, last night your father told me that you are trying to find a peaceful way of removing De Soto from your pueblo."

"That is the hope. We'd rather given up before because well... nothing ever changed, but with the way things are going now, there's a greater possibility of shifting De Soto to some other position. And it does look like there's a possibility that California might become part of Mexico..." Diego trailed off.

"And our alcalde could never stand that," Victoria said firmly. "He's too loyal a Spaniard, and I don't think his goal to return to Madrid in glory has changed."

"Does he still seem determined that capturing Zorro is the key to attaining his dreams?" Doña Magdalena asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Diego said. "At times it seems that he's starting to realize that chasing Zorro is a fruitless quest, then something like my father's amnesia happens and he's determined to use it to try to trap him."

"Ignacio was always stubborn," Doña Magdalena said. "So hard to get him to change his mind once he'd determined on a course."

"That is true, and it didn't seem to matter to him whenever he was proven wrong," Don Cecilio said. "He'd just think it was a one time aberration not a sign to rethink his approach to the problem. So are you trying to either find something that will convince him that it will serve him better or to get someone in authority to transfer him elsewhere?"

"I think we will have more luck with the latter option as our government contacts are getting better, and they have other things they'd rather worry about. So it's a matter of trying to find the proper place to recommend him to, preferably where he can't cause the problems he has here," Diego said. "It would hardly be fair to simply make him someone else's problem."

"But it's not something that can be strictly avoided either," Cecilio said. "But I assume you also have some idea of how to avoid getting another of his ilk."

"We're hoping that we will be able to finally reclaim the right to elect our alcalde," Diego said. "I think it's a question of convincing the bureaucrats in charge that it is not worth the trouble to fight us on this."

"Two thorny issues," Cecilio said. "I know that Alejandro is calling in favors, and while I don't yet have the connections beyond any introductions your father can give me, Magdalena and I will be returning to Monterey very soon, and I am definitely willing to do what I can to see that your messages get where they need to go. Though..." He grinned sheepishly. "I rather expect that it will be your aunt who will smooth out the diplomatic channels that need to smoothed. Rather as she did while I was at the University."

Diego looked at his uncle. "How long do you expect to remain in Monterey?" he asked. "You both have been rather vague about that."

Cecilio looked at his wife. "To be honest, it is unlikely that we will be returning to Spain at all. What's been happening with the University and the government there.... there's really no place for a man like me who always asks questions, even if they're nonpolitical ones."

"And California is really beautiful with much to recommend it," Doña Magdalena said with a smile. "It's easy to see why you both love it so."

"Of course" Diego said. He supposed it was lucky that his uncle had not gotten caught up in a situation similar to the one that had ended the life of his mentor Sir Edmund. There was a freedom in the New World that was absent in the Old at the moment. "I suppose it is fortunate then that you do have the inheritance here to fall back on."

"Very fortunate," Don Cecilio said. "Now I have only to hope that my library manages to get shipped intact. I rather hated to leave it."

"How well I know it," Doña Magdalena said. "I remember your instructions to my brother on their proper care especially when it came time to ship them."

"It's a long trip," Don Cecilio said. "And while he, unlike my own brothers, actually appreciates books, I had to be sure that he knew how to protect them properly."

"Naturally," Diego said. "It wouldn't do if moisture got into the crates."

"Victoria," Doña Magdalena said, with the air of one who knew that the men could speak for quite some time and in tedious detail on the care of books. "I understood that Los Angeles has had had a visit from the infamous Estevan Valverde, but I haven't heard much about that. Alejandro seemed rather vague about the details."

"Which is how we hope it remains," Victoria said. "Especially as our alcalde doesn't remember it at all. The only positive thing that I can think of that came out of that."

"I can see that you were not particular charmed by the gentleman," Doña Magdalena said.

"Considering he got my husband thrown into jail with him and then caused chaos in my tavern before breezing out of town leaving us to deal with the aftermath, not particularly. Charm can only go so far."

"A description with the exception of my being thrown into jail (not that I haven't managed it on my own) that could almost fit Zorro," Diego said.

"Especially the charm?" Don Cecilio said with a laugh.

"Oh, I don't think Zorro has been charming for some time," Diego said with a wry grin.

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "I'd say he's more witty than charming these days. Anyway, Zorro is usually trying to fight for the innocent, not play tricks simply for his own amusement, unlike your friend."

"Oh, I'd say that Zorro has managed to find his amusement in many of his exploits," Don Cecilio said. "Just as I'm sure that you've always enjoyed a bit of harmless mischief, Diego."

"I suppose it depends on one's definition of harmless," Diego said. 

"I think that usually you were the one to take any harm, commonly in the form of bumps and bruises," Doña Magdalena said. "Though I know you did play a prank or two on others..."

"How did you..."

"Rumors, dear nephew," Don Cecilio answered "Lifeblood of the university. And student pranks as long as they did no damage to the school or permanent damage to the students were just considered an outlet for high animal spirits. Of course, your aunt managed to find out all the most interesting rumors."

"I see." Diego glanced at his aunt, looking nervous.

"Almost inevitably involving fencing or science, with a few notable exceptions," Doña Magdalena said with a smile.

"Is it the exceptions that give you that look, Diego?" Victoria asked with a grin of her own. "Things you haven't told me?"

"Aunt Magdalena, last night you said something about the groups you ended up traveling with on the journey," Diego said, clearly wanting to turn the conversation. "Something about a theatrical troop?"

"Oh, yes, we met them on the way to San Diego," Doña Magdalena said. "Very entertaining and very creative."

"Indeed, yes," Don Cecilio said. "I was very impressed with how they managed to stage Lope de Vega's _Fuenteovejuna_ with such a small number of players. They all did a magnificent job of playing multiple roles and making them distinctly different. And they had quite a wide repertoire. It really was magnificent. We went to many of their performances and even had the pleasure of witnessing a few of their rehearsals. I think it was the most entertaining part of our journey. I know Felipe was enthralled as well."

"How was the trip for Felipe?" Diego asked. "He hasn't told me much as yet, and I'd like to know as I suspect that he won't be overly willing to tell me the worst of his struggles if any."

Don Cecilio and Magdalena exchanged glances. "It's hard to say precisely," he said. "You should know that he was and probably is feeling frustrated with his lack of progress in speaking. While many of the people we met were kind and understanding, not everyone was. He tried, really, and while we wouldn't simply stand aside and let people be cruel, we also tried not to coddle him too much."

"With the idea of letting his frustration act as an additional motivator?" Diego asked.

"Exactly," his uncle said. "But neither did we want to push him to retreat entirely. It was difficult to find a balance."

"However, I do believe that the frustrations were a small part of the trip," Doña Magdalena said. "There was a lot more that he seemed to enjoy. He helped us in communicating with some of the native tribes on our journey, had lessons in clowning from Señor Moreno of the traveling troupe, and of course, there was the horse race where he triumphed so beautifully among other things."

"Including some very interested young ladies as well," Victoria said.

"True," Doña Magdalena said. "He is a handsome young man, and he was noticed, though there wasn't really much time for anything beyond a bit of flirting on either side. Our travels kept us all pretty busy."

"Yes," Don Cecilio said. "Also after everything, I think that it will take another catalyzing moment of either great fear or great frustration for Felipe to speak again. I just don't know, and obviously, neither does he."

"It's hard to decide what to do," Diego said. "I wouldn't want him to feel that his speaking or not makes any difference to how we feel about him, but there's the fact that he's _not_ content, at least not entirely."

"True, and frankly this is outside either of our experience, nor do I know of any particular works that would be of aid in helping him. But with your permission I will look once we return to Monterey. I had heard something, vaguely when we first arrived in California about a man who had been working with deaf people, but I don't recall the details."

"I think that would be best," Diego said. "When Felipe first came to us, I did look for all I could on deafness, but that was only for help in communicating with him and the likelihood of his hearing returning. There really wasn't anything about speech, and unfortunately with everything else of late I have been too distracted to look for new references."

"A little distraction is certainly understandable," Doña Magdalena said. "After all, it wasn't just wedding plans you had to deal with, but so many other things as well."

"In that case, distraction is all too regular around here, no matter how much we'd like things to be peaceful," Victoria said. "But now if there's a chance to find out anything to help Felipe, we should look for it, and then he can decide whether he wants it or not. He should have all the options and choices we can give him."

What seemed all to quickly, the afternoon began to fade and as the cool of evening began to settle in, the couples decided they should return to the hacienda. Evening drifted into night and soon, Diego and Victoria made ready for bed.

"Diego, are you all right?" Victoria asked.

"What?" Diego asked absentmindedly.

"Are you all right? You've seemed so distracted since we came home."

Diego sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around Victoria. "I know, I know. I've just been thinking about Felipe. Everything has been changing and happening so quickly around here and he's still struggling with speaking and...I...I just don't want him to feel like he's somehow being left behind in it all. I know he wants to speak; I just don't know what it's going to take. The truth is... I feel... helpless."

"Diego," she said softly and took his face in her hands, "Felipe knows we care about him no matter what. I don't know either how or when but he'll work it out in his time." She kissed him lightly. "And we'll all be there to help him when he's ready."

"As usual, you're right. I shouldn't worry."

"Anyway, I'd say that if he turns out to be as charming a talker as a certain gentleman I know," Victoria smiled devilishly, "I'd say the only ones who need to worry are the young señoritas' fathers, especially considering how well he does now with just a smile."

~Z~Z~Z~

Two days later after a hearty and early breakfast, Don Cecilio and Doña Magdalena were ready for their trip to Monterey, though Alejandro tried to get them to put it off for a bit longer.

"No," Don Cecilio said. "We've imposed on you long enough, and it's time we properly settled in, as well as begin to do our part in helping your pueblo rid itself of its problem. I have your letters of introduction," he patted his jacket pocket, "and of course, Magdalena will have to find her place among the wives, something that will take a little time, though hopefully not too much before the real political maneuvering can start. That's where my wife shines."

"I know," Don Alejandro said. "It's just so frustrating."

"But the direct approach hasn't really worked for us so far," Victoria added in, all too aware that subtlety was not exactly her forte. She had improved on that front now that she had a big secret to keep, but even then her temper still managed to overcome her on occasion. "We need whatever help we can get."

"And I think we have an extra challenge, as the rumors of a possible takeover from Mexico are increasing. I imagine that the politicians in Monterey are far more concerned about the immediate future of California than the problems of our small pueblo," Diego said. "But even with Zorro as a draw for attention, they haven't done much save slap the alcalde's wrist on rare occasions. The most direct action we've gotten is from Ernesto, and that's only because he's been making a pest of himself in Monterey and has the connections and knowledge to intimidate De Soto."

"So we work on the more subtle side," Magdalena said. "Find what exactly will get the proper attention and see that we encourage them to do the right thing."

"You're suggesting they will do the right thing, as long as it suits their purpose, that is?" Diego said.

"Exactly, people tend to do what is right when there is a benefit in it for them," Don Cecilio said. "And apparently, they haven't found a reason to show beneficence in regard to Los Angeles until now. So between what you are doing and what we can do, we will find some way to excise this particular cancer from your pueblo, and hopefully prevent yet another one from being put into his position."

"We can only hope," Don Alejandro said. "I think though that your most useful allies will be Ernesto's parents, Don Gregorio and Doña Eloisa; the pair of them know almost everything that goes on in Monterey, including all the most scandalous gossip, which they tend to keep to themselves, but occasionally use it judiciously."

"I suspect that's part of the secret of Ernesto's not being removed from his position, though he _has_ been given a traveling commission which keeps him from examining the maneuverings and dealings in Monterey too closely," Diego said. "Ernesto is not exactly known for his diplomacy, though he is known for his integrity."

"Always dangerous in politics," Don Cecilio said with a laugh. "Somehow Magdalena has managed both, though it is beyond me how. But we will be doing our best."

"Of course, we will," Doña Magdalena said. "And if any of you need or wish to make another trip to Monterey, we will most certainly be glad of your company." She smiled and then glanced at her husband, with what Victoria thought was a significant expression.

Don Cecilio blinked and then turning to Don Alejandro said, "The time is drawing late if we intend to get to San Fernando before it grows too late."

"True," Don Alejandro said reluctantly, "take care. I don't want to hear about you dealing with bandits again."

"Then I shall certainly leave that out of my letters," Don Cecilio said with a laugh. "And I think it is more likely that _you_ will end up involved with trouble, just take care it is not more than you can all handle."

"With my son and now that Felipe's home," Don Alejandro said with a broad grin, "we should have no trouble at all."

Cecilio had a smile of his own. "This is very true. Felipe is bound to help keep you out of trouble. He's quite the young man. We are going to miss him."

"We will miss all of you," Magdalena added, getting last second hugs from them all, followed by parting handshakes from Cecilio. The two mounted their carriage and before long, had disappeared from view.

"Well," Alejandro said, clapping his hands together, "I guess things can get back to normal around here."

"Yes, which isn't always necessarily good," Diego quipped.

"True. But at least Felipe is home now." Alejandro clapped Felipe on the shoulder. "Cecilio and Magdalena will have to get by on their own."

"Indeed, and if you will excuse me father, I'm going to accompany Victoria into the pueblo. She's going over the tavern's inventory with Señor Calvillo today."

"Then well see you later this evening son," Alejandro replied. "Well," he turned back to Felipe, "I imagine the pueblo will seem quiet after your travels."

"I think we have enough excitement of our own," Felipe signed.

"That we do, that we do. I'm glad you had the chance to see some of the world outside of Los Angeles. Still, and maybe it makes me selfish, but I'm very glad to have you back home."

Felipe looked thoughtfully out at the horizon at the point where he was last able to see Cecilio and Magdalena's carriage then back to the hacienda and finally to Alejandro. He smiled. "And I'm glad to be home."

~Z~Z~Z~

Later in the day, Felipe and Diego found time to talk privately. Diego asked Felipe if he had made a decision about telling Don Alejandro about his hearing.

Instead of answering directly, Felipe signed, "Has he been in the cave?"

Diego looked away for a moment. "Not yet."

"Why not?" Felipe signed.

Shrugging, Diego said, "At first I think he was too embarrassed to ask. He did say that he remembered it, but I'm not sure if he remembered how to get into it from the house. And then he went to Santa Barbara to see what our legal options were, and once he was back, the topic never came up. Too much talk about Estavan and the truth potion, I think." Diego lapsed into thought for a moment. "I suppose he should be shown, just in case." He looked at Felipe's expression. "I know, I know— how can I ask you to do this when I've been reluctant to move past my own secrecy."

For what seemed like a long time, Felipe said nothing, he simply looked thoughtfully out at nothing in particular. "But," he signed, "you did move past it. I can too. I'm going to tell him."

"When?" Diego asked, careful not to betray any surprise or impatience.

Felipe drew in a deep breath and blew the air out in a heavy sigh. "When it's right."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego decided that if he was going to show his father the cave, it would be better to do it sooner rather than later. After talking it over with Victoria he decided that the evening after the servants finished up would be best. Victoria excused herself to go to bed early, believing that it would be less awkward with just the men.

His father looked surprised but pleased when Diego offered to show him the cave. He appeared even more surprised when he saw where the switch was.

"Simple and yet and I could not remember it," Don Alejandro said. "Even when trying to recall it, I never thought the trigger would be there on the fireplace."

"To be honest, while it's very convenient for an escape route, if you know where it is, it's not the most secure latch," Diego said. "Besides you when you tumbled down, the writer Sebastian Moreno and also De Soto managed to accidentally trigger it."

"Really," Alejandro said looking at the spot where the latch was hidden. "Why didn't I hear about this?"

"Well, I was able to convince Señor Moreno that it led to storage, and I managed to distract De Soto enough that he didn't notice what he'd done before Felipe managed to get the door shut."

"That's good," Don Alejandro said. "Though I don't understand why you haven't modified the latch to make it more secure if it's worried you."

Diego looked sheepish. "I had thought about it, but I've often been distracted by other things. And there's the fact that altering it without being noticed would be quite difficult." He felt no need to mention that it was his father that he had feared would notice any alterations.

"I see." Don Alejandro stepped through the fireplace. "Well, perhaps it is now time to reconsider it. It might not be as complicated as it has seemed, and I'm sure it can be done without any real notice."

"Hmm, it will require a bit of planning," Diego said as he and Felipe followed his father through, "but it would be a good idea."

The three reached the bottom of the steps where Alejandro stood for a moment, taking in everything in the cave. "This is extraordinary," he exclaimed as he began to walk around. He carefully examined the wide assortment of scientific equipment, books, and weapons about him. "Putting all this together could have been no easy feat."

"Indeed not," Diego replied. "Especially considering that it all had to be done without attracting any attention."

Alejandro shook his head but then crossed over to Toronado. "I think of all things I am most amazed that you've managed to keep this magnificent animal hidden here for all this time."

"It has been something of a challenge," Diego said, "but Toronado is quite clever, and we're fortunate in that the cave has some natural cross ventilation to keep the air fresh."

Felipe tapped Diego on the shoulder to get his attention and then signed that he was going to groom and feed Toronado while Diego finished showing Alejandro around.

"Yes, I can imagine how hard this might have been without fresh air," Don Alejandro said with a smile.

"Well, not just for the smell of horse," Diego said, "but also some of my experiments could be quite..."

"Yes, yes," Don Alejandro said, "from what I've seen of some of your experiments you've done in the old shed, I can only imagine what they could be like in a more confined space." Don Alejandro finally turned and looked at all the scientific equipment set up around the cave. "This _does_ seem more elaborate than what you have set up outside."

"Well, this is where I do my real work. The shed is for the more basic and easily explainable experiments."

"Not all of which were that easy to under..." His voice trailed off as suddenly, Don Alejandro's eyes went wide. "Is this your grandfather's desk?" he asked as broad smile crossed his face and he crossed the room to put an appreciative hand on the old piece of furniture. "I thought it had been irreparably broken."

"Actually once I determined how to mend the crack in the middle, replace the leg and match the varnish, it wasn't that hard to repair, and it seemed a pity to leave it forgotten in storage," Diego said. "There were more than a few pieces there I could use here, and it was less of a challenge to move them than it would have been to acquire new ones, especially since you did give me free reign to deal with them."

"That is true," Alejandro said. "I hated the thought of getting rid of them myself, but I couldn't think of a use for them. It was easier to turn it over to you and forget about them. But, I'm glad you were able to save it."

"And I was grateful for it," Diego said. "It simplified matters greatly; we've had enough of a challenge managing Toronado's feed and the more explosive supplies."

"Well, you're very resourceful. I'm so sorry that I haven't always appreciated that."

"Oh," Diego waved a dismissive hand, "Father, that's perfectly alright. You..."

"No," Alejandro put a hand on Diego's shoulder, "it's gracious of you to say so but, no, it's not all right. I underestimated you. I misjudged you. I... you've been carrying such a burden, and I haven't made it any easier for you."

"Father, I'm sorry too. I kept telling myself that I was protecting you by keeping my secret. I can see now that I missed out on a lot of thing by keeping you in the dark."

Alejandro smiled broadly. "Now it's my turn to tell _you_ that it's all right. In fact, I'm sure that everything will be all right."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason I was quite bothered with the lack of action in the previous story. I ended up suffering quite a severe case of "everything I write is horrible" nerves during the revision process, along with quite a nasty bout of "why am I even writing; what's the point of all this?" So I think in reaction I decided to start with the bandit gang from "Affair to Remember" attacking Felipe, Cecil, and Magdalena on their way back and actually give Zorro something to do. I don't know why as action scenes are not my best field and I had to wait some time to have my husband's help in fixing the problems with it, but still it's not as if I actually had anything solid planned when I started. 
> 
> The only things I was sure of was that Don Alejandro needed to learn that Felipe could hear from Felipe and that it was time to say goodbye to Cecilio and Magdalena much as I love them as characters and would like them to stay in Los Angeles permanently. However, during the writing, while the idea of Felipe telling Don Alejandro got brought up, it just didn't end up feeling right to have him do it in this tale so it's been pushed off again. So only my intention of Diego's aunt and uncle leaving came to pass. 
> 
> As for the story about the horse race, I know it's not fully detailed but I wanted to have at least some mention of something the trio had been doing on their trip and more specifically something Felipe had been doing. 
> 
> Now as for the names mentioned: Eufémia apparently means "Well I speak" which I thought relatively appropriate for someone who doesn't stop talking. Lupe is short for Guadalupe but basically means "wolf". I'm not entirely sure why I chose that name for the less talkative one. Could be it's in the same spirit as a fox or maybe she's cleverer at showing interest in a boy. Not really sure as I haven't fully fleshed out Felipe's trip yet; I just know a few of the things they did. Additionally Claudio means "lame", which seemed appropriate for the loser suitor, also the name Verdugo comes from Anna Maria Verdugo, from Disney's Zorro, a lady I consider a shallow twit who really was in love with Zorro rather than Diego, unlike Victoria who did show enough indications that she had strong feelings for Diego at various points in the series (yes, occasionally she was pretty shallow, but not all the time). 
> 
> Also, I considered using the term "enlightened self interest" in the discussion of politicians in Monterey, but that apparently dates from 1835 so a bit late, and while I don't mind using a few anachronisms, I do try to avoid them when they aren't from the series. I could have tried using Adam's Smith's "invisible hand," but it didn't really fit either. 
> 
> I tried figuring out the basic distance from the pueblo to the next mission on the Camino Real and it seemed that San Fernando would be the next one north, but the distance was hard to figure, from the maps (though I know the missions were basically 30 miles apart). But then the show rarely cared, when it came to distances, so I suppose this doesn't really matter. 
> 
> Next Up: "The Fox and the Rabbit."


	39. Chasing Rabbits (The Fox and the Rabbit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a con artist on the run with the pueblo's tax money, Don Alejandro insists they can handle matters without Zorro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Fox and the Rabbit" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor.

Diego repressed a sigh as he helped his father heft another bag of grain onto the wagon. "Are you sure these Andalusian oats are really necessary, Father?" he asked.

"The finest grains for the finest racehorse in the colonies, Diego," Don Alejandro said.

Diego wondered why he bothered to ask as nothing was too good for his father's prize horses, and his father was in a particularly expansive and generous mood with the departure of Don Emilio Alonzo, the king's newest tax collector this morning. Not that Diego or Victoria for that matter blamed him for it, as Don Emilio, a charming and intelligent man, had impressed them all during his stay at the hacienda, leaving them with the hope that they had a new ally in their quest to remove De Soto from Los Angeles.

The wagon loaded, Diego turned his attention back to the tavern where Victoria stood outside, only to be struck by the sight of a man accompanied by two men in uniform riding up to the alcalde's office. His father too was struck by the sight and turned to ask Mendoza if he knew who the men were. Mendoza had barely time to say he did not before De Soto was yelling for him from the office.

"Uh-oh," Mendoza said, jumping up. " _Madre de Dios_." He practically ran as De Soto called for him again.

Diego and Victoria started to walk towards the scene, not that De Soto was hard to hear as he spoke to Mendoza in a voice loud and theatrical enough to be on the stage.

"Did we or did we not just pay over twelve thousand pesos in taxes to the Spanish Crown?" he asked.

Diego felt a sudden sharp bite of foreboding at the moment, though he hoped he was wrong. Victoria quietly grabbed his hand, as they both watched the scene.

Mendoza looked as confused as anyone as he said, "Sí, Alcalde. Don Emilio Alonzo was just here."

"Thank you, Sergeant," De Soto said with more than a touch of sarcasm. "I just wanted to be sure I wasn't having a bad dream." He turned to the man beside him. "Señor, as alcalde of this pueblo, I am, of course, a loyal officer to King Ferdinand. But I must tell you, for you to arrive here the day after his royal tax collector has departed with our annual levies, demanding still further assessments from...." He paused to wave an arm around him and raising his voice slightly, probably to show the people he was defending them. "... these good people, is nothing less than outrageous."

At this point, Diego's father stepped into matters. "Excuse me, Señor. Obviously there's been some sort of mistake."

The man did not look even remotely abashed as he spoke. "If there is a mistake, you're the ones who made it." He handed De Soto a rolled parchment.

Diego moved close to look over the alcalde's shoulder as he unrolled it.

"Bears the King's seal," Diego said, his feelings of foreboding increasing exponentially. The seal certainly appeared genuine.

De Soto glared at Diego for a moment before turning his attention to the parchment and began reading it aloud. "This letter introduces Don Fernando Solea, Royal Tax Collector and Assessor...." His voice dropped to a mumble as he read through the rest ending with the king's name.

Victoria looked curious. "Then who was the man we paid our taxes to?"

Don Fernando said, "If he's the man I think he is... blue eyes... tall... handsome, charming?"

"Sí, sí, that's him!" Mendoza exclaimed.

Nodding slightly, Don Fernando said, "He's a brilliant swindler, known throughout the Spanish colonies as El Conejo."

Diego's father reacted with utter disbelief. "You don't expect me to believe Don Emilio Alonzo, _my friend_ , is a common thief?"

Even as his father spoke, Diego was suddenly struck with all the little inconsistencies that he should have noticed, most notably the fact that the man appeared alone and left alone though he claimed to have men waiting for him out of sight. He should have realized something was not right about the man. He knew enough about charming rogues that he shouldn't have been so easily deceived.

His attention was brought back to the scene when Victoria said, "But we already paid them."

"Not to the Spanish Crown. To El Conejo," Don Fernando said.

"Señor," Sergeant Mendoza said, "I'm afraid the people in this pueblo cannot pay their taxes twice. King Ferdinand will just have to understand."

Scoffing, Don Fernando said, "The King of Spain is not very understanding these days." He turned towards De Soto. "I wouldn't let word of this reach Madrid. The King has grown extremely fond of public executions."

Diego had little doubt of the truth of it; it was another reason for wanting freedom for California. However, he was not certain that a Mexican government would be much better, though its coming seemed certain to happen sooner or later.

De Soto, clearly understanding the dangers of not retrieving the tax money, was quick to bark out orders to start a search party for the thief. Diego, Victoria, and his father retreated over to the wagon to speak.

"What are we going to do?" Victoria asked. "It's not likely that the lancers will catch him."

"Very true, Victoria," Don Alejandro said. "If El Conejo outsmarted _us_ , his lancers don't stand a chance. And it's up to you and me, Diego, to see that the man is caught."

"Father," Diego protested. "For someone this cunning perhaps it is better to let the Fox chase the Rabbit."

"Not this time," Don Alejandro said fiercely through clenched teeth. "It's time we dealt with our problems ourselves. Now we need to get back to the hacienda to get our best horses and chase down this thief."

"Do you really think that's the best idea?" Victoria asked.

"This is about more than the theft of some money," Don Alejandro said. "We have our pride to salvage. This is important." He climbed onto the wagon. "Now come on, Diego. Say goodbye to your wife, and let's get going."

Shaking his head slightly, Diego stepped aside with Victoria. "I don't think this is the best idea," he whispered, "but we both know what he's like when he gets an idea in his head. Stay here and keep an ear out for news of the lancers or el Conejo. You can send a messenger to the hacienda if need be."

"I'm not sure what good that will do," Victoria said. "But still I'll do what I can. Just keep you and your father safe."

"Diego!" Don Alejandro called impatiently.

Giving Victoria a quick kiss, Diego climbed onto the wagon, as his father swiftly set it into motion. It was a tense trip, as Don Alejandro was seething over being deceived though he did manage to be rational enough to speak of sending a messenger to the governor to explain the situation in case El Conejo was not caught quickly, before bemoaning the fact that he had actually named his prize horse after a thief. In fact that seemed to sting him the most. Once they arrived, Diego went to find Felipe while Don Alejandro got some hands to start unloading the wagon before heading immediately into the stables.

It didn't take long for him to fill in Felipe about the events in the pueblo, and his father's outrage, finishing up with, "If we move quickly, Zorro may be able to help before my father insists otherwise again."

Before they could get to the fireplace, Don Alejandro came storming into the room. "Saddle up your horse, son. We're going after him."

"I thought you were going to write a letter to the governor first," Diego said.

"A letter to the governor will not get my Emilio back," Don Alejandro snapped.

"What?" Diego asked. He hadn't expected this.

Gesturing angrily, Don Alejandro said, "Yes, the stallion is gone. Alfonso... Alonzo... El Conejo stole him."

"The garrison horses can't give your stallion much of a chase," Diego said almost to himself.

"Exactly. Our Andalusians are the only ones who stand a prayer of a chance. Come on, let's go. We can't lose a moment," Don Alejandro said.

Diego's head was whirling at the moment, but managed to say. "But Father, I think this is something that calls for Zorro rather than my skills."

"Nonsense," Don Alejandro said. "How many times have we said that we need to start taking care of our own problems and not rely on Zorro? If not now, then when? And this is personal. _Our_ horse was stolen. It's our property. I want it back. Let's go!"

He turned and stalked from the library. Diego shrugged and started after him but not before signaling a Z to Felipe, who smiled and nodded in response to him. While he was willing to go along with his father to a point, Diego was not entirely sanguine about the notion and wanted Zorro's paraphernalia near at hand in case they were needed, and this was not something he intended to argue with his father about. 

~Z~Z~Z~

Once they started riding it wasn't too hard to find the trail, as Emilio had rather distinctive shoes, something Diego believed that El Conejo must have noticed at some point. What Diego could not figure is why the man seemed to be lingering in the area instead of using the horse's greater speed and stamina to put as much distance as possible, even if there was a certain advantage to trying to confuse the trail before leaving the area. And the trails were very muddled at the moment.

His father's voice broke into his thoughts. "Look there," he said indicating the trails in front of them. "He made one set of tracks to fool us. Then he doubled back, and he went up deeper into the ravine. He covered his real tracks with a branch."

"Looks to me as though both trails are false," Diego said. El Conejo was showing a great deal of cunning, a truly convoluted mind.

Don Alejandro disagreed. "Son, you may be a clever man, but do remember who taught you everything you know about tracking. Come on, stay with me, Diego." He pressed forward.

With a sigh of resignation, Diego looked around and spotting Felipe he pointed out the direction he wanted him to go before following his father, who was clearly in one of his most stubborn moods. Of course, Diego was starting to wonder if there was more to the false trails than an attempt to confuse pursuers. He tried to think back to his interactions with Don Emilio for any clues to the mind of the man behind the disguise. Confound it, his life was disguise, how did he not detect it in the other man? Was it his own vanity at work? Or his desire for more intellectual company than he usually had? The man was truly gifted in his craft, and yet there was something puzzling here, something Diego couldn't quite figure out.

"Listen!" Don Alejandro said.

Over the ridge came the muffled sounds of men calling for help. Diego and his father dismounted and then started running in the direction of the cries, climbing over the rocks until they reached a blocked cave entrance, where the sounds of men shouting were coming from. Diego could distinguish De Soto's and Mendoza's voices among others.

"Don't worry! We'll get you out!" Don Alejandro shouted.

Diego stepped back and examined the look of the rocks in front of the cave. It would take too long to lift them one at a time the way his father was trying. But the way they were piled up... he started looking around for a large branch.

"Come on, Diego, lend a hand," Don Alejandro said. "Don't just stand there."

"I'm not," he said. "This is going to call for something a little more than simple brawn."

"Are you planning to just think the rocks away?" Alejandro asked.

"No, it's more of a little matter called leverage," Diego said, moving away to get the branch he'd spotted.

"Now is not the time for experiments, son!" Alejandro called out.

Diego smiled as he came back with the branch. "As Archimedes said, 'Give me lever long enough, and I'll move the world.'" He pushed the branch into the rocks and then slowly pressed down until the rocks suddenly tumbled down, revealing the cave entrance.

"Well done, Diego! Well done!" Don Alejandro exclaimed.

A moment later De Soto and Mendoza and some lancers clambered out of the cave still coughing from the dust.

As De Soto flopped onto a rock, he said, between coughs, "El Conejo... he trapped us!"

Mendoza on the other hand seemed more focused on his stomach as with his usual exaggeration claimed they were near to starving to death, despite the fact that it could not have been more than a few hours since his last meal. Diego was more focused on helping the men as De Soto finally noticed that they'd lost their horses.

Assessing the situation, Diego said to De Soto, "Your men are in no condition to make the hike back to town."

"You're right, Diego," Don Alejandro said before turning to De Soto. "Alcalde, he and I will ride back to town and send some wagons out for you."

Diego hesitated for a moment. One part of him wanted to keep his father with the alcalde, partially out of habit, as he still wasn't entirely comfortable with his father knowing his identity, and partially out of a real concern that El Conejo might have something else up his sleeve. But then it did not exactly make sense that he would linger around after having made his escape. This trap would have had to have been set before the man appeared in Los Angeles as he certainly had not had the time to do it while playing his part as the tax collector or even while he was making his initial departure.

However, having his father along would make it easier to go off as Zorro with no need to explain why he ended up sending Felipe in his stead to get the wagons, so Diego finally nodded and said, "That will make it easier, although I would suggest that the alcalde and his men keep an eye out in case El Conejo hasn't yet left the vicinity. We wouldn't want any more traps sprung."

Mendoza's eyes widened a bit, but then though Diego believed that El Conejo should be long gone, there was that niggling feeling that he was not that far away as yet.

"Don't worry, Sergeant," Don Alejandro said. "We'll be back soon. Let's go, Diego."

"See that you are!" De Soto growled. "The longer it takes to find that fiend, the more perilous my position as alcalde!"

For a fleeting moment, Diego was tempted to slacken the pace of their pursuit but knew that De Soto would not be the only one to suffer, and as much as he wanted to be rid of the man, he knew that his dismissal from his current office would also involve his dismissal from life itself, so he pushed thoughts of more long term problems out of his mind so he could focus on the one immediately at hand.

Diego and his father had ridden well out of sight of De Soto and his men when Don Alejandro said, "So how long do you think it will take for Zorro to go after El Conejo? And what excuse do you intend to use for not finishing the ride with me into town?"

Spotting Felipe's shape behind some trees, Diego smiled slightly and answering the first question said, "Not as long as you might think."

Once he too saw Felipe, Don Alejandro said, "I should have known. You always have a backup plan, don't you?"

"I try to," Diego said. "But not always the best excuses."

"How about going to the hacienda to get some medical supplies?" Don Alejandro suggested.

"That will work," Diego said, then looked to Felipe. "If you'll ride back and get those, it should take care of any problems until Zorro has dealt with the Rabbit."

It wasn't long before the three men were on their way to their separate destinations though they staggered the times of their departure with Don Alejandro leaving immediately to be followed by Felipe a few minutes later, while Diego finished his change into Zorro.

For a moment he looked back in the direction both men had started out in reflecting that it had been only Felipe and him for so long that he was still unaccustomed to this level of coordinated effort. It was hard to take in, but as time was passing, he turned and spurred Toronado on. Whether he was ready or not, Zorro was going to have to have trust that this was going to work out and given what was a stake, this was truly going to put that faith to the test.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was feeling impatient waiting for information, not that any was forthcoming. The official tax collector had retired to one of the rooms at the tavern, and the two men he'd brought with them sat outside his door, stone faced and silent. There seemed to be little point in remaining in the pueblo. El Conejo would be a great fool to return there, and she couldn't really help in any kind of misdirection here. It would probably be best to return to the hacienda; she could probably be more useful there.

Just as she was about to mount up and leave, she saw Don Alejandro riding in straight for the cuartel. She crossed the plaza as he called for Private Sanchez to get a couple of wagons and some men ready.

"What's going on?" she asked as she reached them.

"The alcalde and his men were injured in a cave in started by El Conejo," Don Alejandro said. "I sent Diego on to the hacienda to gather together some extra supplies if they were needed."

"We can stock up the wagons," Private Sanchez said. "How bad are the injuries?"

"Not too bad," Don Alejandro said. "Some cuts and abrasions, maybe some broken or sprained limbs."

"Then we should have enough," Sanchez said.

"In that case I'll ride out to the hacienda," Victoria said. "There's no need for Diego to make an extra trip at the moment."

"Good idea," Don Alejandro said. "No need to double up our efforts if we don't need to." He then turned to walk with her over to her horse and added quietly, "Felipe's the one who's going back to the hacienda, so you two figure out how to handle things if needed."

Victoria nodded before mounting Fortuna and heading out of town. So many different excuses to keep in order. Luckily no one person tended to be overly inquisitive about their movements, or Diego would have been facing even greater difficulties over the years. She shook her head at the thought of how easily she had believed ridiculous excuses herself, and now she did her part to make them.

As she reached the half way point between the pueblo and the hacienda, she caught sight of some movement out of the corner of her eye, and cautiously she stopped in order to see what it was. It took a moment to realize it was a riderless horse and a moment more to recognize it as Felipe's pinto. That was definitely not right. She checked the pistol she had as well as the knife concealed in her boot. Then she headed off after the pinto.

~Z~Z~Z~

Zorro carefully followed the more concealed trail of El Conejo, keeping his eye out for signs of disturbances or some more of the man's traps, most of which really had to have been set up in advance. The various trails, the rocks for the cave in, and now... Zorro spotted a rope loop on the ground. He looked around, but didn't see what it was attached to. All he could do was urge Toronado over the rope.

Confident that he'd missed the trap, Zorro was startled when there was a crack and a sudden snap of ropes beside them. Looking around, he saw a bunch of logs rolling down the hill. Quickly, he pulled on Toronado's reins as they just managed to get out of range of the logs as they hit the ground. That had been too close. El Conejo was truly more cunning than he'd anticipated. Zorro was reminded of an Indian tale he'd once heard of a fox and a rabbit where the rabbit had assumed a variety of magical disguises to fool the fox until finally the fox ended up fooling himself and walked away with a bellyache in the end. He had no intention of being led down such a path himself.

Zorro continued his tracking. First finding yet another obvious false trail, though as it was clearly made by his father's horse, it could not be that old. He and Toronado moved off looking for the true trail. While he wasn't entirely focused on the ground, Zorro was still startled when he heard a voice calling from above.

"Congratulations, Señor!"

Turning Toronado, Zorro looked up to see El Conejo.

"You're the finest tracker I've ever seen," the man said as he climbed up onto some rocks at the top of the hill. "It's too bad you've reached the end of your trail." With a swift movement, he tossed down a burning brand into a pile of brush next to them.

The brush quickly caught and within moments they were almost circled by flames. Toronado shied in the heat and the smoke, becoming very difficult to control. Zorro dismounted and moved to lead him up the rocky hillside away from the flames, using soft words of encouragement as he got the reluctant horse moving.

Once they were safely away, Zorro tied Toronado's reins to a tree. "Well done, boy. Good fellow," he said.

At that moment, he heard the voice of El Conejo again. "Very good, Señor," the man said.

Zorro turned to see him approaching with a pistol in his hand. Clearly, clever as El Conejo was, he wasn't quite as clever as he thought or he would have used the time given to him by all his distractions to put a lot more distance between himself and the pueblo. All Zorro needed was the right opening. So eyeing El Conejo warily, he walked toward him cautiously circling almost casually, as his opponent did the same, until El Conejo was standing next to Toronado, pistol raised to fire.

"That's truly an impressive horse you have there," El Conejo said. "It's too bad that you won't be able to ride him again."

As the man finished speaking, Zorro nodded at Toronado. El Conejo, still gloating, was slow in aiming his shot when Toronado reared and hit him in the back, knocking him forward as he fired causing him to miss his target completely. Zorro stepped forward, but El Conejo's reflexes were quick as he threw dirt into his face, before pulling his sword and slashing at him. Zorro ducked then grabbed the man's sword arm, knocking it from his hand. He blocked El Conejo's next strike and then punched him before grabbing and twisting one of his arms behind him and securing him with an arm across the throat.

"There's some unhappy taxpayers in Los Angeles who would like to take a look in the saddlebags on that stolen horse, amigo," Zorro bit out.

"Half of it is yours. You can't turn me in!" El Conejo pleaded.

Disgusted, Zorro twisted the man's arm a little harder as he said, "I don't think Toronado would have it any other way." He grinned as Toronado shook his head in apparent agreement. "You know, I don't think he likes you."

El Conejo next words were completely unexpected. "You let me go, or the boy will die."

_What?_ Warily Zorro asked, "What boy?"

"The one who rides the pinto."

How could he have gotten to him? "Felipe? What about him?"

"He's going to die... in my trap," El Conejo choked out.

"Where is he?" Zorro tightened his grip on the man's throat.

El Conejo laughed as he said, "You let me go, and I'll tell you."

_Not in this lifetime_ , Zorro thought. "I have a better idea," he said as he pushed El Conejo forward.

It took a little doing and a carefully administered nerve pinch to render the man unconscious long enough to get things set up, but it wasn't long before El Conejo was dangling over the edge of the cliff facing his mortality and pleading to be pulled up and released.

"I'm just recovering the tax money you stole. This is strictly between you and Toronado. If I were you, I'd tell him exactly where Felipe is," Zorro said with a lightness he didn't feel.

"If I tell him, will you let me go?" the man called, before screaming as the rope slid forward slightly. "He's going to kill me!"

"Actually it's the fall that's going to kill you," Zorro said matter of factly.

The man broke down. "He's two miles from the pueblo... in that... river..." He seemed to lose track of his thoughts. "In that riverbed!"

Finally. Still angry and worried about Felipe though he hoped he hid it well, Zorro said, "In that case, I leave you to the Alcalde and his men." He cut the rope around Toronado's neck and the rope slid until it reached its limit on the rock it was tied around.

El Conejo screamed until he realized the rope wasn't moving forward. "It's all a trick!" he cried.

"And I would expect you of all people to appreciate it," Zorro said with no small amount of satisfaction. "I seek no man's death, only the truth. Adiós, Señor Conejo."

As he rode away, Zorro did feel a twinge of guilt about leaving the man dangling like that. After all, the rope might be strong but still it could fray and break, but he was more concerned about Felipe's safety, and there was still an anger at the man who so casually tried to kill the people he had already robbed. The charming rogue was also a cold-blooded killer with no conscience, and he deserved to feel a bit of the fear he had placed on others. Once Zorro found Felipe and made sure he was safe and sound then there would be time to go back and deal with the crook.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was following the direction Felipe's horse had come from, hoping to find the young man. His pinto was not nearly as clever as Toronado, but it was well trained enough that it wouldn't just wander off on its own. Unfortunately the ground was dry and hard, and her tracking abilities were nowhere near as good as Diego's or even Alejandro's, so she had no idea if the pinto was doing anything other than simply wandering around. She was contemplating turning towards the hacienda when she heard a whistle. Unsure where it came from, she waited until she heard another whistle, followed by another. Following it, she found Felipe caught up in a net in a tree by the riverbed. His hands were raw from trying to get out of the ropes, and he looked exhausted.

Pushing aside all the questions she had about what happened, Victoria concentrated on the best way to get Felipe down. After looking things over, she said, "Felipe, since you're not too far from the ground, I'm going to cut the rope. Okay?"

Felipe nodded his head and tried to get in the best position for the drop, not that he really could, while Victoria got out her knife and started cutting the rope. The net fell to the ground, and Victoria helped Felipe get untangled from it.

"What happened?" she asked.

It took some time as Felipe was upset, but Victoria soon learned the whole story including that El Conejo had personally trapped him and left him to die. What a monster that man had turned out to be. Victoria was beyond enraged. Bad enough that he had stolen from a whole pueblo, who could not afford the loss, but then to trap a boy that he thought could not hear or speak and leaving him to starve. Felipe wasn't even one of the ones directly tracking the man, nor had he been heading towards the pueblo unlike Don Alejandro. Victoria was incensed and in no mood to simply return to the hacienda, and Felipe agreed with her.

The question though was what exactly they could do. Felipe was originally supposed to be getting medical supplies for Diego, which were no longer needed, but it still didn't need to stop them from acting in some manner. They hadn't yet decided on their plan when they saw Zorro riding fast in their direction. He pulled up in front of them, a look of relief on his face.

"Thank goodness, you're all right, Felipe. When El Conejo told me what he'd done, I'd feared the worst," he said.

"Victoria found me," Felipe signed.

"Because of his horse and his whistling," she said. "But what happened with El Conejo? You haven't let him go, have you?"

"Not precisely," Zorro said. "Currently he is hanging over the side of a cliff contemplating his life choices. I was in too much of a hurry to find Felipe to bother bringing him up."

"Good," Victoria said, angrily. "He deserves it. El Conejo, ha. He should be called El Coyote, for the way he preys on people."

"Well, he is caught now," Zorro said. "And I suppose he should be taken to the jail. I had thought to tell the lancers where to find him, but perhaps I could turn him over to two honest citizens, one of whom has every reason to keep a close eye on the man. What do you say, Felipe? Care to take a trussed rabbit in to justice."

Felipe grinned and nodded.

"Make sure he's tied tight," Victoria said. "I don't know what I might do to him if he tries to escape from us."

"Oh, he will be," Zorro said. "Though I rather doubt he'll be in any condition to make a try by the time that I get back to him."

~Z~Z~Z~

El Conejo was indeed in no state to make any kind of escape attempt by the time Zorro brought him back to where Victoria and Felipe were waiting. He had passed out, apparently from fear if the damp state of his trousers were any indicator, not that Victoria cared about his condition except that she didn't want Diego to feel guilty about causing a man's death, and it was better to take him in alive along with the stolen money. Felipe took charge of the horse on which El Conejo was tied, while Zorro took off in order that Diego could catch up and return with them.

Diego reached them just before they met up with the wagons carrying the alcalde and his men back to the pueblo.

"What's this?" De Soto asked, as he saw their cargo.

"A gift from Zorro," Diego said. "We had decided to ride back out to see if you needed more aid, and met Zorro coming back with this prisoner."

"And the stolen money," Victoria said.

"As well as my stallion," Alejandro said proudly. "Excellent."

"How can we be sure that all the money's there?" De Soto asked.

"Count it when you get back, alcalde," Victoria said. "It will be there, unless the Rabbit ate some of it."

"Yes, well, it's good that we have the tax money back," De Soto said. "As well as _this_ criminal."

"All's well that ends well," Diego said.

"As long as it ends!" De Soto barked as he directed the lancers to take the prisoner away.

_Yes,_ Diego thought as he watched De Soto prod his men along. _I couldn't agree with you more._

~Z~Z~Z~

The de la Vegas all stayed in the pueblo until after they'd seen the true tax collector and his men leave with the tax money. Victoria hoped that nothing would happen to the money this time. She knew Diego had been tempted to ride out after them to see them on their way but had decided to trust their security for the moment. He was more concerned with taking care of Felipe's injuries which were fortunately minor and required only a bit of salve and bandaging.

Don Alejandro fussed a bit over his stallion, as they prepared to leave the pueblo. "After all this, I can't call him Emilio," he said. "It's not right for him."

"Then what, father?" Diego asked.

Don Alejandro glanced at Dulcinea before turning back to look at the stallion. "Rocinante. He will be Rocinante. In honor of the memory of Don Quixote and his visions of the world."

"And the irony of a champion possessing that name?" Diego finished.

"Perhaps," Don Alejandro said. "Or more representing what he was supposed to be. Now let's go, as I am very curious to hear how everything came about."

Diego shrugged. Soon they were on their way home, slowing down once they were out of sight of the pueblo and completely alone on the road. 

"I think, " Victoria looked to Felipe, to Diego, and back to Felipe again, "perhaps the riverbed would be the best spot for this conversation," she said.

After a moment, Felipe nodded, so they headed to the spot where he had been trapped by El Conejo. Don Alejandro noticed the net on the ground as they approached.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's Felipe's part of the story," Diego said.

Felipe pointed at Victoria. "Hers too."

Between the three of them they managed to put together the entire story of what happened during the day, filling in the pieces that the others hadn't heard yet. In the end Alejandro picked up the net and looked at it for some time.

Finally, he stood and contemptuously threw the net to the ground. "I cannot believe the cruelty of that man. Trapping a boy he knows cannot speak or hear, leaving him to dangle and die, and all without any show of remorse. Felipe did not even have a weapon. He wasn't tracking the man at all..." He looked at Felipe. "And still you thwarted him on your own." He smiled and shook his head. "Whistling! Amazing. You wouldn't know if anyone heard you yet still you managed to whistle. It must have been exhausting."

Felipe looked around uncomfortably at that, and Victoria saw him trade glances with Diego who nodded slightly.

"It's fortunate that Felipe wasn't trapped for too long," Victoria said, more to distract Don Alejandro from Felipe and Diego's silent communication.

"Yes, but that does not excuse that... monster. And to think I fell for his lies, and that he could not only steal but try to kill innocents..."

"You aren't the only one, Father," Diego said. "He fooled all of us, but he did not get away with his schemes for either theft or murder, and we are all well if not entirely unscathed."

"True, Son, at least there is that. And I suppose that's that," Don Alejandro said, even while shaking his head.

After a moment of silence and a small nod from Felipe, Diego said, "Actually, there is something else, Father. One other thing. Something Felipe would like to tell you."

"What is that, Felipe?" Don Alejandro asked.

Hesitatingly, he lifted his hands to his ears then pointed to Victoria and the horses before giving a short whistle.

"I'm not sure I understand."

Diego looked at Felipe before speaking. "What he's trying to say is that he heard Victoria coming when he whistled. That he wasn't so helpless as he appeared to be."

Don Alejandro froze as he seemed not quite sure of what he had just been told. For what seemed like a long time, he looked at Felipe thoughtfully before finally stepping forward and putting his hands on the young man's shoulders as he spoke. "You... you can hear?"

Felipe nodded.

"Oh, my boy," Don Alejandro said, hugging him. "That is a miracle."

After a long hug, he stepped back. "How long?"

Felipe signed that it was not long before Diego returned from Spain.

"As long as that?"

"I only found out myself by accident," Diego said. "Down in the cave where he showed me a fox that had hidden there."

"And gave you the idea for Zorro," Don Alejandro said. "And for Felipe to continue to pretend. Is that it? Though I don't know why you would feel the need to hide this from me, Felipe. Not when you first could hear."

Felipe looked down, and Diego was quick to speak. "I think he was too confused at first, and not sure what was happening, and then he wasn't sure what would happen if he told, so he just kept quiet so that things would stay the same."

Victoria kept quiet though she believed that Don Alejandro was aware as she was that Felipe was afraid of how he would react. But it would be probably easier for him to understand Felipe's fears rather than Diego's as Felipe was so much younger.

Don Alejandro remained silent for a moment, then seemed almost to shrug it away. "Well," he put his hands on Felipe's shoulders, "I am happy to know now, even if no one else is to know yet. I assume that no one else is to know."

"That's right," Diego said. "Felipe just isn't ready yet, and once he is, we'll have to come up with some kind of public explanation that's acceptable."

Felipe nodded.

"Too true," Don Alejandro said. "We don't want people wondering why he's hidden it for so long, but none of that matters for the moment. What matters now is I am so proud of you all. You, Felipe for your courage and resourcefulness. You, Victoria, for heeding your instincts. And, Diego, I am proud not so much of Zorro, heroic though he is, but of the way you used your knowledge to get those men free so quickly. I am a fortunate man to have such a family. And that's something we are going to celebrate tonight."

"An excellent idea, Father," Victoria said. "Despite how it began, it's been a good day."

"All's well that ends well, I suppose," Diego mused.

"In this case, as long as it ends," Alejandro sighed, "Let's go home."

~Z~Z~Z~

"What is troubling you, Diego?" Victoria asked as they entered their room later that evening. "You aren't still worried about El Conejo, are you?"

Diego sighed. "Not him so much as what Zorro did. I'm not a cruel man, and yet what I did with him... I could have killed him, and it would have been as cruelly as he tried to kill the others."

Victoria practically bit her tongue to refrain from saying that the man deserved it, that it was only just that he suffer as he made others suffer. She knew that Diego did not feel that another man's cruelty would truly justify his own, and she did understand that he did not want to become like the men he fought.

"Diego, you were worried for Felipe, and since you didn't know what he had done to him, you were simply trying to get the information quickly. I think tricking him into thinking you were as ruthless as him was the best way to get what you needed."

"Yes, but when I got it, I just left him there, simply trusting that the rope wouldn't break or he'd take damage from being hung upside down for however long it would take for me to see that Felipe was safe. I was angry and disgusted with him, but I shouldn't have been that callous."

Victoria caressed Diego's cheek. "It just shows you're human and occasionally let your temper get the best of you. But you're nothing like him, and you did get back to him once you saw that Felipe was all right. Everything worked out as it should." She kissed him, softly and lingeringly. "Now let us get to bed, where I'm sure we can think of better things to do than worry about something that is over and done with."

Diego gave a sly smile. "Indeed. I'd rather we think about things that are just getting started."

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was an awkward episode to figure out what to do, since one of the most memorable parts is Don Alejandro insisting on Diego going with him to track the Rabbit, and of course, in this AU Alejandro now knows that his son is Zorro. But I did figure out how I wanted to handle this, and I hope it works for you.
> 
> I ended up working on this story as I was stuck on the previous one, and for the most part it was easier to do as the plot was changed very little. However, as I was writing two things started bugging me. Why was the Rabbit called the Rabbit, and why didn't he just take the fast horse and run, and let his traps, which I think mostly had to be set up before he "arrived" in Los Angeles, do their work without his watching? Although as I rewatched the episode I realized that at least the cave in was caused by El Conejo directly rather than being a trip wire set up, but still considering his ingenuity, his presence hardly seemed necessary. 
> 
> So I did a little looking on Google and actually found a Native American (tribe or age of story was not mentioned) fable called the Fox and the Rabbit which involved the Rabbit fooling the Fox by transforming himself into a bunch of different things, until in the end the Fox is so befuzzled he ends up eating a tree thinking it's the Rabbit while the Rabbit is hiding in bushes. I had forgotten that the Rabbit is often a trickster character rather like the Coyote or the Raven (I mean Bugs Bunny does come from a long line of tricksters).
> 
> Anyway, beyond that I also decided that El Conejo, having invaded Zorro's territory so to speak, had no intention of leaving without some kind of confrontation with the Fox, and paired that with the fact that the episode certainly showed that beyond being a con artist the man clearly had a sadistic streak and seemed to live to see other people fall into his deadly traps. I guess we're lucky this was on the Family Channel and a half hour show, or we might have gotten something like Saw going on there (not that I've seen or plan to ever see those movies as I am not into torture and gore; I prefer old fashioned horror films like the Boris Karloff Mummy). 
> 
> Also I was in the editing process when I realized that the way I set things up that El Conejo should have gone after Don Alejandro, but I wasn't about to do a major rewrite, so hopefully with the staggered timing of Alejandro's and Felipe's leaving, it makes sense that El Conejo missed Don Alejandro but spotted Felipe instead (after all, he clearly didn't see Diego in the episode). 
> 
> Having put off Felipe's reveal of his hearing once, I thought it best not to delay it too much longer, and this seemed an appropriate moment for him to tell the truth.


	40. Sacrifices (Ultimate Justice)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alcalde gets himself in hot water and Zorro has to get him out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Ultimate Justice" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor.

This was not turning out to be Diego's day. He had only meant to take Toronado out for a ride before returning to the hacienda in order to ride into town to meet Victoria at the tavern for siesta. Her manager was currently away picking up some new wine for the tavern, as despite Señor Calvillo's preference for the cheapest, he had a good nose for picking out the best wines at the prices Victoria was willing to pay. So Zorro had a free morning, and Toronado enjoyed the exercise.

And then he found Don Rodrigo wandering around in a daze, the victim of a wandering bandit. He got him back home and then went back to try to track the criminal down. The weather was unusually hot and most people had already retired for siesta, so he met with no one as he found a trail near where Don Rodrigo appeared to have encountered the man.

Oddly enough, the trail led directly to Los Angeles. Zorro shook his head at the thought that a thief would head toward the nearest pueblo. He sighed. He was going to be late to see his wife as himself, and she wouldn't be overly pleased to see him as Zorro, especially since he now tended to avoid the pueblo so as not to encourage De Soto or the lancers, but still, he couldn't just let the bandit go, as at the moment the man was unsuspected and could be long gone before anyone from Don Rodrigo's hacienda came to town.

He arrived to find that the plaza was empty except for a man trying to pry open the church poor box. Apparently robbing a lone caballero wasn't enough; he had to try robbing the poor as well.

Casually Zorro made his way to the post outside the church and leaning against it spoke. "You know, it's been said the poor will always be with us. Why are you making their lives even more difficult than they already are, hmm?"

The man whirled around, money bag in one hand, knife in the other before rushing at him wildly. Zorro easily sidestepped and used the man's own momentum to knock his head hard against the post, knocking him unconscious. The knife Zorro grabbed and threw across the plaza where it embedded itself into the ground. He then grabbed the bag from the man's hand and put it back in the poor box.

It was then that he saw Victoria standing outside the tavern watching him. 

"Señora," he called. "If you could get the lancers to take care of this bit of refuse, I would greatly appreciate it. I really must be off." He whistled for Toronado

"Of course, Zorro," she said, moving toward the cuartel, as Zorro mounted his horse and left the pueblo.

It did not take him long to realize he was being followed by Ignacio De Soto, who was riding alone and using a spyglass. Apparently the man thought Zorro would lead him back to the cave. Well, time to teach him the futility of that idea and lead him on a much more scenic route, however much he would prefer to be able to be done with this and get back to his wife in his proper identity. Still, he would not encourage De Soto in his delusions of competence, and Zorro wanted him thoroughly befuddled, or even bored, before he lost him entirely and made his way back home.

However, he grew a bit concerned when he lost De Soto near the big oak tree, as they were approaching rather dangerous territory, and much as he disliked the man, he didn't want to actually endanger him. Unfortunately, Zorro's misgivings proved quite accurate as when he spotted De Soto again, the man was inside Indian burial grounds. Which might not have necessarily been a problem except that Zorro realized that he and De Soto were not alone.

This would not do. He watched De Soto looking around pointlessly with his telescope and called out, "Over here, Alcalde."

De Soto moved the telescope in his direction and shouted, "How did you get over there? I followed every inch of the way with this."

"Ah, about a mile back, you should have turned left at the big oak," Zorro said. "Now you're in danger."

" _I'm_ in danger? _You're_ the one who's running," De Soto said.

" _You're_ the one standing on sacred Indian burial grounds," Zorro said, wishing rather than believing that De Soto might get the point and at least back out.

"Indian burial grounds?" De Soto scoffed. "So what? We have treaties with these savages."

"Alcalde... heed my warning, and leave now before it's too late," Zorro said, feeling the danger increasing by the moment. "Ride back to the pueblo." He heard a coo that belonged to no bird, and the moment De Soto's head turned, he headed out of De Soto's field of vision.

Zorro was still close enough to hear the Indians when they attacked De Soto. Not particularly wanting to get in the way, he stayed near only long enough to be sure that De Soto wasn't going to be killed immediately before riding hastily to the Indians' encampment. He knew that they had many reasons to be angry with the Spanish government in general and De Soto in particular, enough that they would feel justified in exacting punishment against the man from trespassing on their sacred grounds regardless of the potential consequences to them. After all, there was just so much disrespect a proud people would be willing to take, and they had had to take quite a lot for some time, and De Soto's attitude would certainly not help him.

He hoped that Chief Wise Eagle would be reasonable and not exact too terrible a punishment on De Soto for his desecration of their burial grounds, but Zorro was not feeling overly confident on the matter. More and more he was regretting the little game he had played with De Soto. He could have been with his wife right now, instead of going to plead for clemency for a man who would not behave in a way to make anyone believe he deserved it.

As he feared, it did not go well. Wise Eagle listened in silence to Zorro's explanations before indicating by sign that in this matter De Soto had broken their laws and was thus subject to their punishments according to treaty, and that his warriors would not look kindly on yet another violation of their rights by arrogant Spaniards.

"I understand," Zorro said, "but surely you realize that this can do your people no good..." His voice trailed off as he heard De Soto's distinctive voice outside the tents. He headed out of the tent to try to keep things from escalating further though he had little hope of that at this point. "I _did_ warn you, Alcalde."

De Soto, as usual, managed to come to the wrong conclusion. "So, you're in league with these savages."

Zorro shook his head. "No. I came to plead for your life. Wise Eagle insists that you have broken their laws."

"Tell the old fo..." De Soto broke off as even _he_ knew he needed to try some form of diplomacy. "Tell Wise Eagle that I happen to be an official of the King's government."

Zorro recognized Angry Eyes, a man who lived up to his name, at least when it came to how his people had been treated by the Spanish. Angry Eyes nearly snarled, "A government that does not keep its promises to our people."

Zorro knew this would be difficult but had to try to urge reason. "True. The government is frequently guilty of injustice. But if this man is harmed, then Spanish laws will have been broken, and many soldiers will come to avenge him. It will mean war." He left out the obvious that it would be a war the Indians would not win.

"So our laws are not important, and the white man's laws are sacred? He must answer for his crimes against our ancestors," Angry Eyes insisted and unfortunately the rest of the crowd seemed to agree. "Prepare the trial by fire."

De Soto, finally seeming to realize the danger he was in, turned to his foe. "Do something, Zorro."

"Angry Eyes, you _cannot_ burn him," Zorro said. Did no one understand the dangers of this?

"If he is innocent, he will not feel the pain," Angel Eyes insisted. "If he is guilty, he will die."

De Soto muttered something in the background, but Zorro was too busy trying to save his life to pay attention to him. "This is no way to decide a man's guilt or innocence," he said. He despised trial by ordeal; it proved nothing but who had the strength to resist. He hated the methods of the Inquisition, and this was no better.

Angry Eyes stood firm. "This is our way, Zorro. You stand on our ground, and he must face our justice."

"If you call that justice..." Zorro said with resignation. "Then I shall face it."

Angry Eyes seemed surprised. "You would do that to save your enemy?"

Zorro said, "I would do it to prove there is a better way to enforce the law. A better way to find the truth." 

He watched as Wise Eagle raised his right hand, swiping it across his eyes, before hitting his right forearm with his left hand, the signs for river and pain. Not very promising though certainly better than being burned alive, not that Zorro had to wait long to discover what it meant.

"You may take the journey down the river of pain," Angry Eyes said. "If you survive, your alcalde is free to go."

Zorro and De Soto were led over to where two lines of Indians armed with sticks stood facing each other, all looking ready to attack. _So that is what is meant by the river of pain_ , Zorro thought. He had heard of this ordeal before but not by this name.

Before moving forward Zorro turned to De Soto and said, "You'll owe me one for this."

Taking off his sword belt, he handed it to a girl standing nearby, then marshaling his courage stepped in between the lines. Even braced to receive the blows, he had difficulty remaining upright, stumbling forward until he finally made it to the end, where he fell to his knees. He was startled when he saw Angry Eyes come forward and thrust two staffs into the ground in front of him. Using one of them to pull himself upright, he stood trying to catch his breath before Angry Eyes took the other one and poked him in the arm.

Zorro was confused. "I don't understand. I thought..." _Why did I think it could be so easy? Especially when the first option was death by fire._

Angry Eyes said, "You have the power of courage. Let us see if you have the skill." He struck again.

Concentrating, Zorro fought back, parrying Angry Eyes's attacks before hitting him in the ribs with the end of his staff. Vaguely, he could hear De Soto's voice behind him, but as it was unlikely to be useful, he tuned him out as he jumped over a low sweep of Angry Eyes's staff before rolling out of the way. He jumped to his feet, rushing to Angry Eyes, pushing his staff against the Indian's.

"There are many kinds of power, amigo," Zorro said. "One of them is staying power."

The pain of his injuries receded as he began his attack, this time pushing back at Angry Eyes. Holding his advantage, he struck Angry Eyes in the chest, forcing him back. Obviously upset, his opponent charged recklessly at him. Zorro easily sidestepped before delivering a kick to Angry Eyes's backside as he stumbled past him. Angry Eyes recovered and returned the attack before Zorro finally hit Angry Eyes in the chin with his staff then across the face, knocking him back down into the crowd. Knowing he had won, Zorro walked to Angry Eyes and pulled him to his feet.

"I've made the journey down the river of pain," Zorro said. "Release the Alcalde."

Angry Eyes looked at him fiercely and said, "The journey doesn't end here. It ends on the wall of death."

_The Wall of Death_? Zorro thought in frustration, looking toward the cliff indicated. _How many more tasks must I accomplish?_

De Soto must have been thinking along the same lines as he exclaimed, "The Wall of Death? And then what next? The Pit of Despair? The Tree of Woe? He conquered your 'River of Pain', so I should be let loose." He struggled with the warriors holding him. "Release me!"

He was knocked down to his knees before he could do more, and Angry Eyes looked to Wise Eagle who nodded.

"Hang him over the flames, that he may taste of his fate if his champion does not survive," Angry Eyes said.

Zorro, still trying to marshal his energy, didn't bother to protest, as this would likely keep De Soto from distracting him during his climb, spent the time examining the cliff in front of him. It had been some time since he had tried scaling a cliff like this one, but it wasn't as if he had much choice in the matter. When Angry Eyes came back to his side, Zorro asked, "Is this the final challenge?" He had to know.

Angry Eyes said, "The wall of death is the ultimate test of a warrior. Climb it, and you will be denied nothing."

Zorro stared at Angry Eyes trying to judge his sincerity.

"Many men have tried to reach the top," Angry Eyes said, "and many men have died."

Zorro looked over to where De Soto was hanging upside down, then back at the cliff. Better to get it over with. Tucking his gloves into his belt, he resolutely started climbing the wall. It was as treacherous as Angry Eyes implied, more than once he lost his grip, barely saving himself from death as he grasped at hand and foot holds. As he neared the top, he suddenly heard a commotion below him. Tightening his grip, he looked down to see that De Soto was holding one of the women hostage. Quickly calculating the necessary trajectory, Zorro pulled loose a rock near his handhold and threw it so that it hit De Soto's head forcing him to drop the knife. Then he continued his climb to reach the top as he knew he was going to need to figure out a quick way to get back down after finishing his climb in order to finally save De Soto from the results of his own stupidity.

Once he pulled himself up to the top of the cliff, Zorro took a moment to catch his breath before the sound of horses caused him to turn and see Mendoza and some lancers approaching. He wasn't sure what brought them here in so timely a fashion but he was prepared to take advantage of the fact.

Whistling for Toronado as he pulled his gloves back on, he turned back to Mendoza and said, "Sergeant, you're just in time."

"We are?" Mendoza asked in confusion before deciding to act as if he knew what Zorro was talking about. "I mean, of course we are."

Without overly concerning himself with the sergeant's level of understanding, Zorro approached Mendoza's horse and took the coiled rope off the saddle before heading back toward the edge of the cliff.

"Time for what?" Mendoza called out to him.

"To give me this saddle rope," Zorro replied while he tossed one end of the rope over the cliff's edge, then tied the other to the limb of a sturdy looking bush.

Mendoza had dismounted his horse and was approaching the edge of the cliff. "What for?" he asked. 

Zorro continued his preparation as he spoke. "To save the Alcalde's miserable life."

"Ah, so that's where he's at," Mendoza as he said as he got closer.

Ready to start downward, Zorro began walking to the cliff's edge.

"Be careful, that's my best rope!" Mendoza exclaimed.

Zorro finished looping it over his shoulder, giving it a tug to check its firmness.

"Good. This is no time for shoddy equipment," he said with a salute before jumping backwards off the cliff and began rappelling downward. 

He could hear the sergeant shouting something from above, but he ignored it as he made his way downwards as quickly as possible. Looking down, he spotted Toronado's approach and managed to land in his saddle with little difficulty and rode with all speed back to where De Soto was being retied near the fire.

De Soto shouted for Zorro's help as he struggled against his captors.

"I advise you to let the Alcalde go," Zorro said to Angry Eyes. "Sergeant Mendoza and his lancers will be here shortly."

"He was going to kill Washdea," Angry Eyes snarled.

"I wasn't going to hurt the girl," De Soto protested. "I promise you. I just refuse to be roasted over some open fire like a chestnut."

Ignoring De Soto for the moment, Zorro kept his attention on Angry Eyes. "Are we not men of honor? Men of our word?"

He could see the words strike home, before Angry Eyes nodded. "Yes. When you made the wall of death the wall of life," he said before looking over to the men holding De Soto. "Release him!"

De Soto determined to have his say immediately echoed Angry Eyes. "Release me!"

Repressing an eye roll, Zorro turned away as De Soto was being untied. It was time to go before the lancers arrived.

"And I want my horse back!" De Soto shouted.

A horse was a small penalty to pay to keep peace, so Zorro called back, "Don't push your luck, Alcalde. You can ride back to town with Sergeant Mendoza. He'll be here shortly." He looked to the chief. "Wise Eagle, " he said as he raised his hand, "Adiós."

He started to ride away before he was halted by Angry Eyes calling, "Wait! You forgot something."

Curious, Zorro looked back at him. "I did? What might that be?"

Angry Eyes indicated the woman standing next to him. "This is Washdea, Wise Eagle's daughter. You won her. She's yours."

Blind sided, Zorro was speechless as he tried to wrap his head around this unexpected statement. He dismounted as this was something that needed to be clarified and dealt with as quickly and diplomatically as possible.

Angry Eyes said, "When you climbed the wall of life, you won the hand of Wise Eagle's only daughter."

Yet another unstated condition? Zorro was starting to believe that they were indeed making things up as they went along, up to trying to foist a wife on him for reasons he was not interested in knowing. But he would have to speak cautiously. As far as the alcalde was concerned Zorro was a single man, but he had to make it clear that he could not and would not marry anyone for any reason.

Zorro decided to start with a simple demurral. "That's very kind. It's just that I have no desire to marry."

"She'll give you many children," Angry Eyes said.

Still struggling to come up with a reason and thrown back to memories of pressing matchmakers determined to throw their sometimes barely eligible female relatives at him, Zorro reflexively responded with barely hidden sarcasm, "Oh, I'm sure she would."

"Then it's settled. You'll take her," Angry Eyes said as if that were enough.

"The truth is..." Zorro started, still stumbling over his words though not his intentions, "it's an overwhelming offer..."

Angry Eyes obviously wanting to override his protests said, "To refuse it would be an insult to all my people."

Zorro, already having spent too much of his day acting to respect the tribe's sense of justice and tradition all to save a man who would show no gratitude for it, thought it was time they showed _his_ traditions and privacy a bit of respect. "I have no intention of insulting your people," he said, calmly. "However, I have taken a vow to protect my people, and along with that I have made a promise to God that will not allow me to marry Washdea or any other woman, and while I do have respect for your people's ways, I will not be false to the vows I have made. If I had known the conditions before I made the climb, I would have asked for another way to fight for the alcalde's life. You ask for me to respect the laws and traditions of your people, and I ask that you respect my own. I will not betray my word to my God. As a man of honor yourself, surely you can understand this."

Angry Eyes looked at him for a long moment. "So you have made vows rather like your priests."

"Though in Zorro's case, I suspect a vow of celibacy is entirely a matter of inability," De Soto muttered.

Zorro shot De Soto a look meant to remind him that they were not safely back in the pueblo yet. He turned back to Angry Eyes. "Yes, something like our priests," Zorro said before looking around. "I wish you and your tribe well, and I am sure that Washdea will find a fine husband, but it cannot be me." He walked over to Toronado, mounted and saluted the crowd before hurrying away. He could not get home soon enough.

~Z~Z~Z~

When he returned to the cave, Diego was not really surprised to see Victoria as well as Felipe waiting for him, though he'd hoped to have cleaned up before he saw his wife. He was more used to dealing with his injuries with only Felipe's help and hated seeing the worry in her eyes, though Victoria tried to hide it as she calmly got out his medical supplies while asking him what happened while Felipe went to see to Toronado.

It was difficult to get the story out as Victoria was cleaning his cuts with salve. The excitement of the fight had ebbed now, and the pain was starting to kick in. While he was sure none of his ribs were broken, they were starting to hurt, and there was the question of how they were going to hide the bruising on his face.

Repressing a hiss of pain as Victoria finished her bandaging, he asked, "What happened in the pueblo after I left?"

"Well, Mendoza and Sepulveda threw the bandit in jail before noticing that the alcalde was missing, and I decided to stay in the pueblo as I was sure he was up to something. Fortunately your father also came and told me that you were suffering from a sudden headache and resting, so that's all right. And obviously the alcalde had to be gone for some time before Mendoza was convinced he needed to look for him."

"Hence the timely arrival," Diego said as he carefully finished changing his clothes. He took a look at the torn shirt which he wasn't entirely sure was salvageable; it was fortunate he had ready replacements though he hoped that he would have no need to ride as Zorro until after he had thoroughly healed. But for the moment, he was going to need an excuse. "Well, I think we can milk the headache with a possible cold excuse for a day or so, but..."

"You'll need to be able to have an excuse for those bruises on your face," Victoria said.

Felipe who had finished tending to Toronado pointed to him and then mimed falling off a horse.

"Yes, Felipe," Diego said, "a fall from Esperanza could do the trick."

"Especially if she was spooked by a snake," Victoria said. "And I can insist on you resting a few days, being the doting wife that I am."

"Also, there has been a minor illness floating about the pueblo," Diego said. "That should be enough considering I used to always be getting ill."

"Exactly," Victoria said. "Now it's time I think we got you to bed, before things get any worse."

Diego took Victoria's outstretched hand as she led the way to their room. When they closed the door, she turned down the covers and helped him change again before easing him into their bed. Diego watched her as she undressed to change into her nightclothes. He had been through a lot today and had to suppress a grimace as his wounds cautioned him against what he was thinking. Still, as he took in her perfect form, he couldn't help believing that of all the risks he had taken today, this one was truly worth it, if only he could convince her he was up to it.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the time I got to this story, I really wanted to skip it, even though I had an idea of how I wanted to deal with the whole wedding proposal thing at the end of the episode (which actually was the first part of this story I wrote over a year and a half ago), and I thought I could, but the fact is I needed Zorro's beating to happen as it will have some impact on the next story. 
> 
> Also, despite the fact that from the staging/visuals of the episode it is patently ridiculous that Zorro could hit De Soto so casually with that rock, I decided not to fight it and just go with it. Actually, there also seemed to be an unexplained gap between the first "Wall of death" and the beginning of Zorro's climb, as while Zorro was fighting Angry Eyes, De Soto was there rooting him on, and then suddenly he was hanging upside down over a fire without explanation. In fact, I was initially going to ignore the gap, but while I was writing this note, I had the thought that it would be best to work with it and have De Soto make a nuisance of himself in order to justify his hanging upside down. I mean, if I had Zorro thinking the equivalent of, "Oh, come on!" after a new challenge got added on, it's twice as likely that De Soto whose life is also on the line would start protesting as well. 
> 
> Just a note on some of the references here: The Pit of Despair comes from The Princess Bride, which has another awesome man in black trained by the inimitable Peter Diamond, and the Tree of Woe comes from Conan the Barbarian. I would have used Cliffs of Insanity but we already had a Wall of Death in the episode itself.
> 
> Over all I found this story a bit uncomfortable to write with all the Indian cliches, though I tried sticking with the terminology the show used, for better or for worse.
> 
> I also hope no one takes any offense to the way Diego phrases his refusal to marry Washdea. I know the show tended to steer clear of religious references except for rare occasions, but Diego is Catholic, and he was married in church and vowed to be true to Victoria, so no, he's not free to marry anyone else. 
> 
> Next Up: "The Reward."


	41. The Price (The Reward) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When defending Victoria without a mask, Diego pays a hefty price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Reward" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor. 
> 
> I never really looked forward to this one as the episode makes me very uncomfortable, but I wasn't not going to leave it out. There are certain lines in my stories that I don't cross, but this one gets much closer to the line than I am in general comfortable with, so it was a struggle figuring it out, but considering my angst adverse status, this is certainly nothing worse than the episode itself.

It had been a busy day, and the evening was no better. Diego and Victoria were staying in the tavern, as Señor Calvillo had come down with a particularly nasty cold and was staying with his niece and her husband for a few days until he was well. Pilar was out of town for a cousin's wedding, and Alicia and Teresa were not comfortable with handling overnight guests. Thus, Diego and Victoria were staying in the tavern until Señor Calvillo returned, a task which had not been too trying until this evening and the arrival of a man calling himself Lamarca, a name Diego doubted was the one he was born with.

Though Lamarca had sat quietly back to a wall while he ate, Diego was troubled by him, feeling there was something off about him, something dangerous. A feeling justified when the man exploded over, of all things, one of Mendoza's tall tales about his time however brief with General Campos. Diego had always suspected it was a single passing meeting when Mendoza first joined the Royal Militia in Mexico City. But everyone was used to Mendoza's exaggerations and boasts about things he only had a passing acquaintance with.

However, Lamarca was apparently not a man to let stories pass. He'd interrupted quite forcefully. "You say you were on the Yucatan campaign with General Campos?"

Mendoza started to say, "Sí, the general and I..."

"You are a liar!" Lamarca shouted, stabbing his dagger into the table in front of him before standing and crossing to Mendoza. "Campos was nowhere near the Yucatan."

"Yes, but..." Mendoza tried to interject as the man talked over him.

"And neither were you," he said accusingly. "I was there. Every day. Risking my neck. You?" He laughed mockingly. "You know nothing about the life of a real soldier."

Victoria was not about to let that stand, though Diego wished for once that she not draw attention to herself.

"Excuse me," she said, "but Sergeant Mendoza happens to do a fine job of staffing our garrison."

Mendoza puffed himself back up at her words, though Lamarca's gaze was now fixed on Victoria.

"Ah, the little innkeeper has fire. I like that in a woman," he said.

Diego instinctively stepped closer to his wife, placing himself between her and the man. He was about to speak when De Soto walked into the tavern breaking up the tense scene.

"Mendoza!" he called.

Jumping to attention, Mendoza said, "Sí, Alcalde."

"Sergeant, what do you think you're doing?" De Soto said. "Do you think you're on a holiday? We have work to do." He waved toward the door. "Back to the cuartel immediately!"

Mendoza instantly turned and shouted orders for the lancers in the tavern to return to the cuartel immediately. Diego noticed De Soto staring at Lamarca before turning and following his men out of the tavern. Lamarca shrugged slightly then gave Victoria a rather leering once over before returning to his table where he then smirked at Diego who glared back at him.

~Z~Z~Z~

As the tavern started emptying for the evening, Lamarca finally left for his room, much to Diego's relief, especially as Victoria had declined to go back home to the hacienda with his father.

"Why should I, Diego?" she asked. "You'll be here with me. There's nothing to worry about, and I've handled worse on my own. It's just one bad-tempered customer."

"More than bad tempered," Diego said. 

Victoria hesitated a moment. "All right, there is something worse there, though I don't know what, and I'm sure we will be fine until morning when we can send him on his way."

"I suppose," Diego said doubtfully. "But let me handle locking up the tavern tonight."

"We can do it together," Victoria said.

"But I still want you to go to bed first," Diego said. "I would feel better knowing you were behind a locked door until the morning."

"All right," she said reluctantly as she checked the lock on the back door, "but don't forget to take the bottles down to the cellar. I'll just finish with the kitchen."

Diego still felt a foreboding as he gathered together the bottles to carry to the cellar. He almost called to Victoria to ask her to come with him, but changed his mind. She was right after all. Would the man really try to cause trouble with his wife while he was nearby?

He was just placing the bottles in position when he heard Victoria scream and a door slamming above. Diego tore up the stairs as if the hounds of hell were at his heels. Throwing himself at the door, he easily splintered the frame and nearly sent it flying from its hinges.

There was his wife, backed into a corner, fighting against the man pawing at her. The sight of Lamarca's hands on Victoria only further stoked Diego's rage. With a yell, he yanked the man away. Lamarca turned and punched him in his still healing ribs, but Diego was incensed beyond the ability to feel pain, and he returned the blows, knocking the villain against the corner wardrobe. The man was stunned for only the slightest moment and came at Diego again, punching him in the face before Diego could block him. They then locked arms, grappling, each trying to gain the upper hand as they swung at each other wildly around the room. Finally, with a well placed kick to the sternum, Diego thrust the man out the door and onto the walkway that overlooked the main floor of the tavern.

Lamarca grabbed at his chest and gasped a couple of times but was back on his feet before Diego could press his advantage. Again, he threw a punch that connected with Diego's side. He drew back to strike again, but Diego turned away from him, caught his arm, and tossed him over his shoulder. Diego went to hit him but he rolled to the side and in one movement, sprang to his feet while drawing a knife from his belt.

He swung the knife back and forth in the air, narrowly missing each time as Diego stepped back. At length, Lamarca lunged ferociously as he brought the blade around, going for the face. Quick as he was, Diego crouched down and Lamarca, having put all his weight behind the attack, overbalanced and went tumbling over the railing and down onto the tavern floor where he landed with a sickening crunch. Diego rushed to look down at where the man lay still and unmoving on the ground, his head at an unnatural angle. Victoria came to Diego's side and looked over as well.

"Is he..." she started but stopped as Diego turned to embrace her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking over her.

"Yes, a little shaken, but all right," she said, though she couldn't help shivering. "It was over so fast. What..."

There was a sudden pounding on the front door of the tavern. Diego could hear De Soto shouting. He felt cold as he walked down the stairs, Victoria at his side. She opened the door while he knelt down by the body on the floor, confirming what he already knew. The man was dead.

He could barely make himself turn his attention to De Soto and his lancers when they practically came tumbling through the door, too late to do any good. Useless, as always. A man dead. And because of him. The unmasked him. The poet rather than the fighter.

De Soto's voice seemed to come from a distance. "What happened?"

Before he could find the words, Victoria spoke. "I'd just gone upstairs when that man pulled me into his room and attacked me. I called for help, and Diego came and... there was a fight where that... man fell over the balcony."

Diego saw De Soto look at him skeptically, but he couldn't muster any particular reaction.

After a long moment, De Soto said, "Well done, de la Vega. I wouldn't have thought you capable of it, especially against such a man as José Baquero."

"Baquero?" The question came out almost automatically.

"Yes, there was a wanted sheet for him in the office, and I recognized him," De Soto said.

"You recognized him?" Victoria nearly yelled. "When? And why did you take this long to come for him?"

Diego still could not force any particular emotion out or even do more than follow the exchange. Cold seeped into his bones as he stood there.

"I had to look through the posters to find the right one," De Soto protested defensively. "We came once I was sure and..."

"Sergeant Mendoza!" Victoria shouted. As angry as she was, she at least had the presence of mind to know she would not be able to contain her temper if she just allowed De Soto to prattle on with his excuses.

"Sí," Mendoza said meekly as he stepped forward.

"Sergeant," she took a deep breath, mustering what composure she could, "would you and the men please finish your business here and get this..." she closed her eyes, "man out of my tavern?"

"Sí, Victoria. Right away," Mendoza quickly replied.

"Now see here! These men take orders from only me and I..." De Soto blustered, but Victoria turned and strode away before he could protest further. "Yes, yes, Sergeant, get this body out of here at once!" he barked, trying to sound as authoritative as he could.

Mendoza knelt down next to Diego who had not moved from the dead man's side. "Not to worry. We'll have this all taken care of before..." Mendoza's voice trailed off as he noticed Diego's intent yet somehow vacant stare. Clearly, he had not heard a thing the sergeant had said. "Don Diego?" he asked hesitantly as he searched his friend's face for some sign of acknowledgment. "Are you all right?"

Victoria swiftly intervened, stepping in between Mendoza and her husband. "Yes, Sergeant. Everything is fine," she lied. "We're just both shaken up over what has happened. Come, Diego." She took his arm. "Let's go upstairs while the lancers finish here."

"Yes, of course." Diego shook his head as if waking from a dream. "Of course." He followed Victoria as she led him to the stairs. "Thank you, sergeant," he said mechanically without looking back.

"I'll let you know when we are done so you can lock up for the night. No need to worry about anything," Mendoza said.

"Gracias, Sergeant. We'll be fine," she answered, putting forth what she hoped was a convincing smile because she knew the one she was really trying to convince at that moment was herself.

~o~O~o~

Much to Victoria's relief, the lancers were soon gone. De Soto had barked out a few orders, likely in an effort to remind the men who was in command, but they were out of the tavern within the hour, and she and Diego were finally left alone.

She took care to check the doors and windows twice before putting out the lamps. Normally, she would not have taken that much trouble, but she was still feeling wary. As she made her way upstairs, she took one last look at the empty space on the floor where the dead man had been.

When she walked into their bedroom, she found Diego sitting on the bed facing away from her. He was motionless except for slowly rubbing his hands together. Victoria eased the door shut behind her. "Diego?" she said. There was no reply. She sat down next to him. "Diego? How are you feeling?"

For what seemed like a long time, he said nothing. At length, he said, "I... don't know." His voice was flat and barely more than a whisper.

"Oh, Diego." She turned his face toward her. "Diego," she gasped. Victoria put her hand on both his cheeks and his forehead. "You're so cold." His face was pale and beaded with sweat and his eyes looked dark and glassy. She fetched a cloth from the wash stand to mop his forehead and cheeks. "It's all right my love; you're in shock. You'll be fine. I'll take care of you," she told him as she knelt down to help him take off his boots. "I'm going to put you into bed, get you under some warm blankets. I'll bring you some water and..."

"It was me," Diego suddenly said.

"What?"

"It was me," he repeated, looking down at her, his eyes more focused but only slightly.

"No, no, Diego." She took his hands in hers. "That man was a villain and a fiend, and what happened was _his_ fault."

Diego pursed his lips. "I've never... I've never wanted to see a man die. I've hated that I've had to. I've said things in anger, but I... I've never intentionally taken a man's life. All I've ever wanted to do is protect..."

"Mi corazón," Victoria interjected, "I know, and this is no different."

"No, this _is_ different. It's always been Zorro. Even when things were at their worst, it was still Zorro. But this time, it's me, and I wasn't...," he bit his lip, "I wasn't ready for what it would be like to not have a mask to protect me from myself." He took in a long breath and let it out in a deep sigh. "There was no mask to hide behind this time."

Victoria swallowed hard. "I am so sorry that all this happened, and I won't pretend to understand what you're feeling. But _you_ are a good man, a genuinely good man, and I don't want to imagine what you saved me from." She got up, sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"And I love you, Victoria."

"Come on," she put her hand to his face, "you still need to get under some blankets." Victoria finished removing his boots and eased him into bed. "I'll bring you something to drink and then you need to rest. I'm sure word will get to Don Alejandro first thing in the morning, and he will be racing into the pueblo to see you." She pulled the covers up over him.

"Thank you, Victoria. You are much better to me than I deserve."

She leaned over and gave him a light but lingering kiss. "You'll see. Everything will look better by the light of day."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego woke in the morning, his head muzzy and his body aching. He didn't think his ribs were broken, but whatever healing he had experienced since the River of Pain had certainly been undone. His left eye was feeling tender. He knew he should open his eyes and get up, and yet the idea of moving more than necessary was repugnant at the moment. Even as he was contemplating what he would need to do once he arose from bed, Diego was struck with the thought that this was the first time in a very long time that he didn't have to hide his injuries. Usually he had to disguise them or occasionally fake them like the "sprained ankle" in his fight with Sir Miles Thackery. Today however, not only did he _not_ need to hide them, but it would be better to make them seem a little worse than they were. After Diego de la Vega was not a man who fought often or well, and last night... Diego felt a sudden nausea as he remembered. No, no, he would not be sick. Not again.

The door to the room opened and closed, and Victoria's familiar weight settled on the side of the bed, her hand reaching up to rest lightly on his forehead. He took it in his own and kissed her palm.

"How are you?" he asked as he opened his eyes to look at her.

Victoria shook her head slightly. "That was what I was going to ask you. I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about."

Diego struggled to sit up and immediately regretted the maneuver, but he managed not to groan as he leaned back against the head board. "I'm sore, but that's not surprising," he said. "How bad do I look?"

"Like you've been in a fight," Victoria said. "But that's not what I meant, and you know it, my love."

Diego closed his eyes again for a moment. "I don't know," he said honestly. "It's still... muddled. You know I've never wanted to... and yet I couldn't not act..."

"Of course, you couldn't, and you also couldn't have expected the man to break his neck the way he did. After all, you've gone over the balcony yourself without much damage."

That was true and sounded familiar. Had they said this all already? Last night seemed so long ago. Diego now thought ruefully back to the time when he'd fought with the keeper of the fake medium. Victoria had almost made the connection between him and Zorro then. He wondered how much would have changed if he'd not managed to distract her train of thought at the time. But then what good did it do to wonder? He couldn't change the past; he couldn't bring the dead back from the grave, and in this case, he wouldn't really want to. Was he a hypocrite to wish that it had been someone else who had been the one responsible for Lamarca... or Baquero's death? Probably. In the persona of Zorro, he had threatened it on occasion and even felt he meant it at the time. But still the reality... it was hard to bear. He truly was not a soldier at heart. There was no sense of justice filled, no satisfaction except in knowing his wife was safe. It was unintentional, accidental, brought on by another man's evil intention. That thought did not particularly make him feel better.

Victoria was staring at him, and he struggled to speak. "What are the plans for today?" he finally asked.

He was a bit surprised to see an angry frown appear. "Your father and Felipe are here, and Don Alejandro will be overseeing the tavern until tomorrow when Señor Calvillo should be back. We're going home, but first we need to speak to our useless alcalde and..." she paused as if looking for words, "thanks to Mendoza the entire pueblo knows about what happened, so you'd better be prepared..."

"To be the center of attention," he finished with a sigh. "I should have expected it. It should be fine."

"It _has_ to be," Victoria said with determination.

~Z~Z~Z~

It _wasn't_ fine, though Diego did his best to pretend it was. Victoria's temper was clearly on edge and looking for a target, and he didn't want to be the one to provide her with one. Probably a vain hope as he was immediately surrounded by a crowd once he came downstairs, and Victoria looked like she would commit bodily violence against the unwitting soul who came up and slapped his back, jarring his pained ribs.

It was hard enough to avoid the back slappers, but he could do without the "it's about time" type of congratulations. The incredulity he could live with, but the implications that he was now some kind of a man because he'd killed a man did nothing to quell the rising nausea. Before it got too bad or Victoria ended up kicking everyone out of the tavern, Diego's father intervened.

"Now that's enough everyone. My son and daughter have been through enough without making simply getting out the door into an ordeal."

Diego walked carefully out of the tavern with Victoria by his side. He saw the de la Vega carriage in front of the alcalde's office. Felipe was sitting in the front.

"I thought it best to leave directly after we speak to... the alcalde," Victoria said with a tone that sounded less like words and more like she was spitting out something distasteful, "and you don't need to be trying to ride again for a while."

"Gracias," Diego said, trying to hide the grimace of pain. He was off balance and off kilter and had no idea how he should be acting, but he decided this was one day when it was best to continue to let Victoria take the lead, as she seemed to have no doubts about what to do. He smiled up at Felipe who had been looking at him worriedly.

De Soto was at his desk, attempting to look busy, but the way he randomly moved the papers about made it clear it was for show. Mendoza stood nervously behind him. Diego couldn't help but notice the wanted poster for Baquero set aside with another poster showing a heavily bearded man. He could see the name Murillo and wondered if there was some association with Baquero for it to be placed there, but before he could lean closer to inspect things more closely, De Soto stacked Baquero's poster over the other one and drew them in front of him.

"Well, alcalde," she said impatiently. "We're here. Just what do you want now that you didn't get last night?"

He glared up at her. "It's the matter of the reward." He pointed at the poster. "Three thousand pesos for Baquero, dead or alive. And he's dead, and it's yours, de la Vega."

_As if I need reminding_ , Diego thought. "I don't want the reward," he said.

De Soto grinned. "I was hoping you would say that. I've some ideas of how it could help the..."

"Give it to the orphanage," Diego interrupted. "They need it more than anyone else."

His smile falling away, De Soto said, "Of course. Perfectly understandable. You're sure?"

"Yes, he's sure," Victoria snapped. "Now if that's all, we'd like to go home."

"Certainly, after you sign this form about the incident and signing over the reward to the orphanage," De Soto said grouchily, pulling out two that he had obviously prepared for the purpose, though clearly he had hoped for a different outcome for the reward.

Diego carefully read through both of them before signing, just to be certain that De Soto wasn't trying to slip something else into them, but it was exactly as stated. Mendoza signed as witness once he was done.

"Don't let me keep you," De Soto said.

"We wouldn't dream of it," Diego said, as Victoria glared at the alcalde.

Once Victoria and Diego were in the carriage, and Felipe started on the way home, she said, "That was a colossal waste of our time, and the alcalde's, as if we would let him keep the reward when he did absolutely nothing, and there are others who could use it more."

Diego leaned his head back, trying not to grimace at the bumps in the road. "Better the innocent should profit from such a thing than the guilty," he said, not sure who he was referring to.

Victoria was quiet for a long moment before saying, "It's the innocent who always suffer when evil is allowed to run free, and considering how the greed of our alcaldes has taken much of the support away from the orphans, it is only right that they get the money."

"Yes," Diego said, his eyes closing again.

Once they were home and in their bedroom, Victoria insisted on inspecting his injuries again. 

"Well, it's not as bad as it could be," she finally said. "The black eye is different though."

"Yes," Diego said as he worked with the supplies in the medical box to make a compress for his eye. "But this should help it go down reasonably quickly." He sighed. "All this time I've managed to avoid one, but apparently my clumsiness had to emerge at the wrong time."

Victoria looked at him. "It's not that bad. It certainly wouldn't be visible under a mask, unless someone was looking very closely."

"And they usually aren't," Diego said. He watched her in concern. Though Victoria claimed she was well, her simmering temper indicated otherwise. He knew all too well how anger could hide pain.

"Too true," Victoria said. "But now you should go back to bed and rest. I don't want your injuries to get worse."

Diego stared at her for a moment. "I will if you will. I don't think you got much in the way of rest last night."

"I'm fine, Diego," she insisted. "It's you I'm worried about."

"But it's you _I'm_ worried about," Diego said. "It's only fair."

Reluctantly, Victoria agreed. "All right, if it's the only way to get you to rest."

She slipped off her shoes and got into the bed after Diego lay down, being careful, he noticed, not to get too close.

"I'm not that fragile," he said quietly. "I've been through worse. You've seen me more badly hurt. Unless..." He didn't know how to finish that thought.

Victoria turned toward him. "I just don't want to make things worse," she said.

"My love, you do nothing but make things better," Diego said. "But I'm afraid you're hurting as much as I am right now."

Victoria was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "No. What I am is angry. Angry at so many things."

"Why don't you tell me?"

"I'm angry that our alcalde is a greedy opportunist who only acts when it does him good, and even then he's only in a hurry when it will hurt other people. I'm angry that yet another so-called man believed me to be no more than a thing that he could violate for his own perverse pleasure. All my life there's been too many who thought that just because I work in a tavern that I'd sell myself as well as my food, or if I didn't that I'd just let them take it as if they were owed something just because I was a woman. I hate that and the evil they do. You'd think that as a married woman, it would stop, but no, now it becomes some kind of additional boast. It's bad enough that men make the rules without women being considered lawful prey to all the predators of the world. Diego, why is that?"

Diego was silent for a long time. He might be a man, but he had a hard time understanding the men who took what they wanted without caring about the consequences to others. "I wish I knew, Victoria. For some, it's because they've lived a life of privilege and believe they deserve what they want when they want it, and they look on the people below them in the chain of life as things to give them what they want. Others feel like they have no power and thus enjoy using what power they can over those who are weaker than they are. And others just want others to suffer. But I think the main thing is that to all of them, other people don't matter to them to some degree or another."

Victoria curled close to Diego but still left a space between them. "You've never been like that," she said. "You treat everyone with respect until they've proved they don't deserve it. You always treated me with courtesy even when we were young. I mattered as a person to you, and I think that's when I started falling in love with you."

Diego lightly stroked her cheek once before dropping his hand to the mattress. "You were always so passionate and determined. So fierce in defense of others, especially the weak. I loved that in you before I ever fell in love with you. I've never wanted to see that spark die." He could feel the exhaustion creeping back in on him. Perhaps Victoria had been right about resting; he wasn't sure he was even making sense.

Covering his hand with her own, Victoria said softly, "It's not going to. It's too much a part of me and you too. Now let us sleep, my love. Everything will be better later on."

Tired though he was, Diego lay quietly for a while, looking up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. It didn't take long for Victoria to fall asleep but, as if by second nature, she shifted closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

_Everything will be better later on_ , he thought back on her words. He looked at her peaceful, beautiful, perfect face. _It's pretty good right now_.

~to be concluded~


	42. The Price (The Reward) Part 2

The next day Diego and Victoria spent at the hacienda, he kept mostly to bed. Victoria insisted that he needed to rest while she took care of him. Given how tired and sore he was, he needed little encouragement. But the day after, while he was far from recovered, he was beginning to feel restless, and the events at the tavern still weighed heavily on his mind.

After breakfast, Diego had done some reading, tried working on the books before checking on his last experiment, but nothing managed to keep his restlessness at bay. Ultimately, he decided that as Felipe had already taken care of Toronado that morning, spending some time grooming Esperanza would be in order. Working with her had always been a meditative activity for him, and now he was running a brush through Esperanza's mane and patting the side of her neck as she nickered contentedly and occasionally nudged his arm affectionately with her head.

The familiarity of the animal, the quiet of the ranch, the coolness of the breeze, and just being alone all combined to make him feel better but still far from well. Despite his best efforts, Diego couldn't help running the fight through his mind over and over, imagining each time a way it could have ended without a man having to die. But there was no escaping that a man was dead, and even though he knew in his head that he was acting in defense of his love, his heart was still heavy with guilt.

"Diego?"

He turned and there was Alejandro.

"Oh, good morning, Father. You're back. Has Señor Calvillo returned?"

"Yes and I was anxious to return home. I see you are giving Esperanza some much needed attention," Alejandro said as he walked around to the horse's other side.

"Well, I haven't seen her in a while, and I thought that since I was out here, a little grooming would be appreciated."

"Indeed," Alejandro agreed as he stroked Esperanza's muzzle.

For what felt like a long while, Diego said nothing though he could feel his father's stare on him.

At last, Alejandro broke the silence. "And how are you doing?"

Diego drew a deep breath as he tried to collect his thoughts. There was no use in pretending he didn't know what his father was talking about, but he still had no idea what to say. "I don't know" was all he managed.

"You realize the man was a fiend. You were protecting Victoria and yourself. He would have killed both of you without a moment's hesitation."

"I know. I know," Diego said with more frustration in his voice than he had intended. "I just… it's… I…" He looked off in the distance at nothing in particular before looking his father in the eye and saying, "I know we've never talked about this, I mean, not really talked about it, but… you… you were a soldier, and… I'm sure you've done things you regret."

"No," Alejandro replied flatly.

The forthrightness and bluntness of his father's response so genuinely shocked Diego that he actually took a step back. His mouth dropped open and moved dumbly, looking for some kind of response.

"No," Alejandro went on, "we have never talked about it, and now I'm sorry that we haven't. And no, I've never done anything I regret. I regret that I had to do it, but I was fighting for my home and my family. A soldier might tell you he's fighting for God and king and country, but in the end, that is little more than a lot of patriotic tripe. No, in the end, a soldier is always fighting for his home and his family."

"But I'm not a soldier, I…"

"No, you're not," Alejandro interjected, "but you are a man, a man with a wife. You're a husband, and one day you'll be a father. Even if you don't realize it, you were fighting for all of that last night."

Diego couldn't fault anything his father was saying. He walked over to the work bench and leaned against it. "I know. I just… I… I wish thing could have been different."

Alejandro came around and stood next to him. "Of course you do. That's because you're a good man, a truly good man." He put a hand on his shoulder. "You asked me about being a soldier. Yes, I've taken men's lives, and I hated it every time I did it. But you don't have to hate someone to kill them. You don't have to want to kill someone to kill them. Sometimes you're put in a place where it is the only option left you. Sometimes it's the right thing to do. But that doesn't make it easy."

"How do you get over something like that?"

"You don't. There is no getting over it. All you can do is get through it. Fortunately for me, I had your mother to help." Alejandro smiled warmly. "And you have Victoria."

Diego smiled too, though it was only half-heartedly.

"Diego, that man made his decisions, and that is what put him in a grave, not you. Whether or not you believe that, it's still true."

"I know that, at least in my head." Diego sighed. "Unfortunately, the head and heart seem so rarely to be in step. I just don't know what to do."

"Well, you can start by letting me finish with Esperanza. Go spend some time with Victoria. If your head hasn't convinced you, try listening to your heart for a while." Alejandro smiled broadly. "It's waiting for you inside."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next few days Diego and Victoria planned to stay around the hacienda as Señor Calvillo had returned to work, and there was no real reason for them to go to town. They also felt it would be more in character for Diego to remain home to recover from the fight. However despite Victoria's insistence on his taking things easy, Diego had no intention of spending too much time in their room, at least not if he would only be resting, so as the weather was nice, he and Victoria went outside to sit in the garden while he worked on a sketch of her for a new painting. He was glad that he could work from life rather than memory when he wanted to draw her now, though obviously it was more of a strain on her to pose.

Taking a break, Victoria decided to go inside and get them some lemonade. As she disappeared from view, Diego stood up and stretched. He was still feeling sore, but improving rapidly. It was fortunate that he was a quick healer. He turned towards the house, thinking he would help Victoria, even though he knew she would protest, when he heard someone calling out to him. Twisting around, Diego saw a rough looking man entering the gate of the courtyard.

"I'm looking for Don Diego de la Vega," the man said as he swaggered into the yard, hand casually resting on the hilt of the knife in his belt.

Uneasy about the man's stance though it was not overtly threatening, Diego surreptitiously studied the man's appearance. Dirty and unkempt with a light stubble on his cheeks, something about him seemed faintly familiar, though Diego believed he hadn't actually met him before. The memory niggled at him.

"I'm Diego de la Vega," he confirmed. "What is it you want, Señor..." he let his words trail off.

"Narcisco," the man said, dipping his head in a slight nod. "And as for what I want... well, I hear tell you already did that."

"I don't understand," Diego said, though he thought he was beginning to.

"I'm a bounty hunter, Señor," he said, "and I've been tracking José Baquero for a while only to find that you're the one to snag the bounty... one I've worked hard for."

"I'm sorry, Señor... Narcisco," Diego said, the name not striking a cord. "But I'm not the one receiving the bounty. It's going to the pueblo's orphans."

"I see," the man said. "Well, that's too bad for me, I guess." He looked around at the hacienda speculatively. "But maybe I'll hang around for a bit. Try my hand to getting another bounty. Just so I haven't wasted my time coming all this way here."

"You can do as you wish," Diego said quietly. "But I can't guarantee you won't be wasting your time."

Narcisco shrugged. "We'll see," he said, before giving another nod and leaving the garden.

As he left, Victoria came outside with a tray, which Diego took from her to put on the table.

"Who was that?" she asked, indicating the departing horseman, who had paused long enough to stare back at the two of them before continuing on.

"He claims he's a bounty hunter who's been looking from Baquero and disappointed to miss out on the bounty, so much so that he's planning to stick around for a bit."

"To go after Zorro?" Victoria asked, her eyes narrowing. "Or do you think something else?"

"I'm not sure," Diego said. "He seems bold enough to think he could catch the Fox, but I'm not sure. I have a feeling there's more to this visit than just a vague asking for the bounty."

"Perhaps," she said. "Maybe he was hoping you were weak enough or fool enough to give up the bounty to him, and hopefully, he's got conscience enough that he wouldn't try to shake down the padre for it." She shivered. "He has the look of a predator, no matter what side of the law he claims to be on."

"That's what concerns me," he said. "If he's after another bounty, there's only one around here that counts."

"But what would he do to get it?"

"I don't know," Diego said. "We'll just have to keep our eyes open."

~Z~Z~Z~

The next couple of days seemed to pass slowly at the hacienda, though Diego was not particularly idle. There was painting and some research for a new experiment. Victoria was going through the household accounts. There still seemed a slight barrier between them that neither was quite able to cross, but Diego had hope that they would find the way soon.

Alejandro and Felipe kept them informed of what was going on in the pueblo. The stranger was staying in the tavern under Señor Calvillo's watchful eye. According to Alejandro he had been asking around about Zorro as well as about what happened with Baquero, more about the money than anything else really, but Felipe felt that he was also trying to find out about Diego and the de la Vegas at the same time. Narcisco had also spent time riding out, but no one knew for certain where he was going, though the main speculation was that he was looking for Zorro for the bounty. However, to be cautious, Don Alejandro had instructed his vaqueros to keep an eye out for the stranger around their property. No one reported seeing anything suspicious.

So after a couple of days of nothing in particular to concern them, Don Alejandro asked Diego and Victoria if they wanted to go for a ride with him.

She glanced at Diego. "I don't know. I'm not sure if Diego should be riding yet."

Don Alejandro said contemplatively, "I suppose that it would be a bit out of character right now. But _you_ could come with me for a short ride. You could use the fresh air, I think."

"Yes, she could," Diego said. "But keep an eye out for trouble."

"Do you really expect trouble, son?" Don Alejandro asked. "Nothing's happened, and if anything, it looks like the stranger is scouting around with the notion of capturing the bounty on Zorro, and we know he's not going to be riding out any time soon."

"We may know it, but I'm not sure what that man is up to. Perhaps he's hoping to ambush the men bringing the bounty in the next few days, though I'm not sure how he'd expect to learn precisely when it is, since no one in the pueblo knows. In any case it's best to be vigilant. Isn't that what you've always said?" Diego said with a bit of a smile.

"No, but I probably should have," Don Alejandro replied with a grin. "So, Victoria, up to a ride with an old man?"

"You are hardly old, Father," Victoria replied. "And on horseback even less so."

"Oh, Dulcinea is my treasure," he said. "Well, I'll meet you at the stable then, Victoria, so you and Diego can say goodbye without me getting in the way." He had a wicked grin as he turned and left.

"My father is very subtle," Diego said wryly.

"But he has a point," Victoria said. Since Baquero died, Diego's expressions of affection had been more subdued, and perhaps her own as well, as she had been harboring concerns for her husband's health as well as... that anger that hadn't really settled though she tried to manage it. Yet she still longed for his embrace, but there was no time for a long conversation now. Victoria leaned in and kissed his lips trying to convey her love through it brief though it was. "I love you."

Diego returned her kiss. "I love you, too," he said. "Have a pleasant ride. I look forward to joining you soon, once it's believable." He smiled wryly.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria and Don Alejandro rode quietly until they were out of sight of the hacienda.

"How are you, Victoria?" he asked.

Victoria sighed. "Tired of being asked the question. Angry at that... _pig_ for causing so much trouble even after his death. I hate that Diego feels guilty while I don't, not even a bit."

"Nor do I. I don't condone easy killing, and I know you don't either, but I do know the scars it can leave inside a man. Diego's been very lucky so far."

"I know. And I'm trying not to burden him with my feelings on this."

"And he's trying not to burden you either, and I have no idea whether this is a good idea or not. I kept my own share of burdens from Diego's mother, and though it seemed to work, I don't know."

"I don't know either," Victoria said. "We've had so many secrets in our lives that I'm not sure it's best to keep them from each other anymore. But still..."

"I'm sure you two will work it out, but I will say that I certainly understand the issues of dealing with a temper. De la Vegas and Escalantes alike both have it. I don't think Diego will have a problem understanding it."

"He never has," Victoria said. "But I know he hates it when he loses control of his."

"He does like staying in control of himself," Don Alejandro said. "The more I think back at what he's done, the more I'm amazed at what he has accomplished. For so long just him and Felipe, and... then you."

"But it's always been him in charge, doing things that no one else can do," Victoria said.

"So much so that it's easy to forget that he has his own weaknesses and needs help from time to time," Don Alejandro said softly.

Before Victoria could say anything, there was a sudden shower of rocks from a nearby hillside, and a rock flew and hit Don Alejandro's horse. Dulcinea reared suddenly and despite his best efforts Don Alejandro was thrown. Victoria got down from Fortuna to check on him.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Just winded," he said, starting to sit up when they were both startled by the sound of pistols being cocked.

Victoria looked up to see a man in black pointing guns at them. He wore a bandana which covered his face with eye holes cut into it and an oversized black jacket with silver threads that she assumed he'd stolen from a caballero, at least she hoped it had only been robbery, but he had the look of a man at ease with dealing death, and that made their position very dangerous.

"Señor, Señora," the man said, "don't make any sudden moves. It would be a pity to have to kill you."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Don Alejandro demanded.

"Who I am doesn't matter. You can call me a student of the Fox," he said. "What matters is what I want in exchange for your safety. A small matter of three thousand pesos. I hear your son should have it, and I want that money."

"My son isn't getting any reward. It's being given to the orphans."

"Well, Señor, then since I'm an orphan, he should have no problem delivering it to me. Surely he values the two of you over such an insignificant sum," he said. "Now, we'll just make our way to a little spot where you can stay until my transaction with Don Diego is complete."

~Z~Z~Z~

The afternoon was starting to wane, and Diego was getting worried. While he knew that both Victoria and Don Alejandro enjoyed their rides, he had expected them to return much earlier, if only because of their concerns about the stranger and perhaps to keep him from brooding and riding out after them. Actually, Diego rather expected it to be the latter more than anything. And yet they had not returned.

Walking outside the hacienda, Diego stepped out to the road and looked in both directions in the vain hope that he would be seeing Victoria and his father riding home. No such luck. He knew that they would not be happy if he rode out after them, but if they did not return soon, he would do it anyway, though perhaps it would be more in character for him to ask a couple of the hands to do it in his stead. Perhaps it might, but still he would do it himself if it came to it.

As he was contemplating returning inside, Diego noticed a horseman in the distance heading towards the hacienda in a hurry. It took a moment before he recognized the rider as the man Narcisco. He remained unmoving watching as the man raced up and stopped in front of him.

"Señor de la Vega!" he called before dismounting from his horse.

"What is it, Señor... Narcisco?" he asked.

"I have some bad news for you, Don Diego," he said.

"What news?" Diego asked, though the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach gave him a good hint of what it was.

"While I was scouting about, a man got the drop on me. Zorro he said his name was and that he needed a messenger to deliver a message to you."

"And what is the message?" Diego asked impatiently, wanting the tarradiddle to be done with.

"There's no other way to say this, Señor, but he's got your father and wife and wants 3,000 pesos for their safe return."

"Why should I believe you?" Diego asked. "Zorro has never kidnaped anyone before, and he has been a friend to my family for years."

The man shrugged. "I'm just passing on the message. Maybe this man is just claiming to be Zorro. I don't know, but he told me to show you this to prove that he had them." He pulled out a glove from his jacket and handed it to Diego. He instantly recognized it as one of his father's, not even needing to check the small initials worked into the inside to be sure. But there was also something inside it, and Diego tipped it over into his hand to reveal the necklace he had given Victoria after they had become engaged. Anger simmered in him.

He grabbed the man by his lapels. "Where are they?" he demanded.

Narcisco barely flinched. "I don't know. I'm just the man delivering the message, and if you want to recover your family members, you need me alive and well and able to deliver your response. So how much are they worth to you?"

"I'll pay the ransom," Diego finally said. "But it will take time to get it together."

"You have until tomorrow, Señor," Narcisco said. "At least, that's what I was told."

Diego glared. "They had better not be harmed in any way," he bit out.

"As long as he gets the money, I don't think you have anything to worry about, Señor," the man said with a swagger as he returned to his horse and rode away.

The man was barely out of sight before Diego made his way down to the cave. Much as he hated it, this was a job for Zorro not Diego de la Vega. It took longer than he liked to get ready as he not only wanted to pack Toronado's saddle bags with a number of distractions but he also added a padded sleeveless vest that wrapped around his torso under his shirt to protect his ribs from the jostling of riding and any blows in the event of another fight. He disliked the notion, but considered it a necessary precaution as he would never forgive himself if something happened to his wife and father just because he was too proud to admit he was not at peak fighting trim.

Once he was ready, Zorro headed out of the cave, anger and fear burning in his gut as he started following the man's trail, determined to find his loved ones. God help the man if they had been harmed because nothing would stop him from seeing him pay. It wasn't as if blood were not already on his hands. Guilty blood at that.

Zorro could not believe how easy it was to track Narcisco. De Soto left less of a trail. He would have thought even a bounty hunter would do a better job. It was enough to let him suspect a trap and use even more caution in his approach, which was helped by the fact that the man had not left de la Vega land, and Zorro knew every inch of it. He wasn't too surprised to discover the man was hiding in the abandoned mines, though he had not chosen the one that had collapsed a couple of years before. 

Hiding above a hill, Zorro looked down through a spyglass to see the half covered with brush entrance of a cave, one he knew from experience was large enough on the interior to hide several people with a nearby overhung area capable of concealing several horses from general view. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to see inside to determine if Victoria and his father were there, but once Zorro worked his way around he saw their horses tied up next to the horse he had seen Narcisco riding. While he could spot the indicators of some trip wires, they seemed more for the purpose of slowing down or warning of intruders than anything more deadly. And frankly he had no difficulty in avoiding them, as he knew a secret about this particular cave that he was sure Narcisco didn't. 

There was another way in, a well-concealed one. It was just past the first turn in the passage, above and behind some rocks. In order to spot it, a person would have to either know it was there or be very particular about searching the ceiling of the cave to realize it existed. The fact that the cavern soon tapered into a solid wall made it even more unlikely someone would note it.

A plan in mind, Zorro circled the long way round, still keeping his eye out for traps until he reached the area where the second entrance was. Of course, he'd need to hope that nothing had happened to block things or change it too much as there was a short section where there would be no light from either end of the tunnel and things were going to be rather tight as he had been much younger the last time he had worked his way into the cave, and he hadn't been carrying a sword at the time. Removing his hat and cape, he left them with Toronado before unstrapping his sword in order to carry it and hopefully prevent its betraying him by clanking against something unexpectedly.

Cautiously, he made his way inside, and to his relief he was able to work his way down to the other end without making too much noise. He sat concealed in the opening for some minutes, just listening in order to be sure of what he could be facing. He could hear his father protesting loudly. He sounded like he was just around the corner.

"You're not going to get away with this!" Alejandro said.

There was silence for a moment, then a man's voice— Narcisco's made deeper as a disguise, Zorro believed— from further away, the cave's entrance probably, which made sense as Narcisco probably believed that was the only way a rescue party could approach. He had struck Diego as a rather basic thinker, with a low level of cunning, just enough to look at things crookedly and suspiciously but not enough to see all the tricks. "It's simple enough. I'll get the money one way or another, but you'd best hope your son is the one to make the payment. Anything tricky and you two are going to be the ones to suffer for it."

Even more carefully, Zorro lowered himself to the floor, hoping the sounds of the conversation would drown out his movements, as he refastened his sword around his waist. His eyes were well adjusted to the darkness of the cave and the thin light that seeped around the corner. He crouched low in order to peer around the corner. As he suspected, he saw a man standing next to the cave entrance, the light on his masked face as he looked out. It also meant that the man would not be able to see as clearly into the darkened area where Zorro was. His father was just near the corner and he could make out Victoria on his father's other side. He shifted a bit further back covering up the bottom of his face with his arm as he edged to where he could get a better view out of range of the man's view. 

As far as he could tell, Victoria and his father were simply tied up, no additional traps like either the Falcon or the Rabbit had set up. Not that he'd put this... Narcisco into the same category as either of them. Just another criminal who treated people as things, this time as things to be bargained for. Normally he'd get the man's attention before striking, but he was on the far side of his family, and he had no intention of giving him the opportunity to aim his pistol in their direction. Narcisco had turned back to look out the entrance. With a sudden leap, Zorro was across the room, striking the man before he could do more than start to turn his head.

The man hit back hard, but Zorro's rib protector did its work to minimize the pain. Pulling a knife, Narcisco lunged at Zorro, who grabbed his arm and twisted it until the knife dropped from his hands. He shoved Narcisco face first into the wall, twisting his arm nearly to the breaking point.

"I take it very personally when someone uses my name in their crimes. It does not end well for them."

"I'm willing to split the money," the man choked out.

Zorro pressed the man harder against the wall. "It's not about the money," he bit out. "I am no kidnapper. I don't threaten the lives of innocents. You, on the other hand, you I have no problem threatening. Justice has come." He knocked him out and watched as the man slid to the floor before turning back to his father and Victoria, who had been busy untying themselves while he had been fighting.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine," Don Alejandro said. "Just angry and annoyed that this man got the drop on us." He brought the rope over and helped Zorro tie the man up.

Victoria watched them. "Are _you_ all right, Zorro?" she asked. Though the man seemed thoroughly unconscious, none of them would take any chances of him overhearing anything that would give away their secrets.

"Yes," Zorro said. "But I will let you and Don Alejandro take this man in. And have the alcalde check the wanted posters. I suspect that for this man bounty hunting is a fairly recent sideline."

"Well, if he's got a price on his head, he's both bold and not too bright to have approached the alcalde as he did," Don Alejandro said.

"Perhaps our alcalde's reputation preceded him. After all, he's done nothing of use in this whole business, and he only seems to manage to be clever when the wind is southerly, so it's not so surprising that he wasn't overly suspicious," Victoria said. "But we won't know until we get this..." she was obviously struggling to find a word which wasn't a curse, "thing to the pueblo."

"You are correct, Señora," Zorro said, as he took the ropes, and he and Don Alejandro tied Narcisco up and with Victoria's help got him out and slung over his horse, a process that took longer than he liked, though he took a little malicious glee in cutting his trademark Z into the man's trousers.

Whistling for Toronado, Zorro was very aware of Victoria's stare boring into him as if trying to determine what injuries he might be trying to hide. He wanted to reassure her that apart from some new bruises he was no worse off than in most of his fights, but this was neither the time or the place, so he kept his back to her as Toronado arrived. Once mounted and assured that Don Alejandro and Victoria had everything else in hand, he gave a brief salute before turning and riding out of sight in a hurry to get back and changed before they could pass the hacienda on their way to Los Angeles. 

He was surprised to see that Felipe had returned from the tavern and was waiting for him, obviously wondering what had sent Zorro out. As he was changing, Diego filled Felipe in on what had happened and asked him to go hitch up the carriage, as _Diego_ wasn't supposed to be riding for a few more days, and it was time for him to go out and either report the kidnaping or gather the funds since he wasn't supposed to know that Victoria and Don Alejandro were already safe.

Diego was sure he looked a bit wild as he spotted the horses in the distance, but the relief he felt was more real than it should have been as a part of him was worried that something might happen on their way back despite how tightly the man had been bound. He ran out to meet them. Victoria dismounted before he reached her. He wondered if she was worried that he'd try plucking her directly from the saddle. It didn't matter; he swept her up into a hug, ignoring the slight pain, before kissing her not quite as thoroughly as he wanted to considering their audience.

"I'm glad you're safe," he said, holding her close and then looking up at his father. "You too, of course, Father."

"Glad to hear it," Don Alejandro said dryly, with a smile. "But we still have some refuse to deliver into the pueblo, if you care to join us."

"Certainly," Diego said.

Victoria's horse was handed over to Miguel, who had come from the stables with Felipe and the carriage. Don Alejandro insisted on continuing on Dulcinea, and refused to dump the apparently still unconscious body of their prisoner onto the back of the carriage, saying that he deserved no better than being hauled in on his own nag. Felipe ended up driving the carriage with Diego and Victoria sitting together in the back.

While they rode into town, both sides told the story of what had happened to them and with Victoria and Alejandro telling of Zorro's rescue, as if Diego could have no idea, as when they got to that part of the tail, it was becoming obvious that Narcisco was starting to regain consciousness, and they had no intention of giving anything away.

Happily they were at the entrance of town by the point the man started moaning. Mendoza was the first to spot them, and Diego could see him sending Sepulveda into the alcalde's office as Don Alejandro rode ahead with the prisoner.

De Soto exited the office just as Mendoza was helping Don Alejandro pull Narcisco from his horse.

"What is going on here?" he demanded as he saw the half conscious man swaying between the two.

Victoria practically leaped from the carriage as soon as it stopped. " _That_ man," she said, "kidnaped Don Alejandro and me for ransom."

"And Zorro saved you?" Mendoza asked, looking at the _Z_ cut into the man's trousers, as some of the other lancers grabbed him to cart him into the cuartel.

"Yes, he did," Don Alejandro said.

"And how did he know where to find you if he wasn't in league with that man?" De Soto asked.

"How does Zorro know anything?" Victoria asked rhetorically. "But a stranger in town? Claiming to be the friend of Lamarca until he finds out he's dead and then suddenly is a bounty hunter chasing him for the reward? Surely Zorro would be curious about that... even if our authorities aren't." Her bitterness was clear even to De Soto.

"Señora," he said with some asperity, "I know you have had a rough time, but I have had enough of your insinuations."

Before Victoria could retort, Diego quickly spoke up. "Yes, she has, and I am sure you understand that. However, I would like to check through the recent wanted posters as I have a feeling this Narcisco, or whatever his name really is, is among them."

"I assure you..." De Soto huffed and broke off seeing the glares of the three de la Vegas. "Fine, come into my office and we'll look."

It took Diego not more than half a minute to manage to extract the wanted poster of the bearded man he had seen, and only about three times that time to convince De Soto that the wanted man Nacho Murillo and Narcisco were one and the same. The beard really didn't make that much difference in the man's appearance. But Diego believed that the greed for the reward is what made De Soto give in so quickly. However, he had no more than voiced his thoughts about the reward when Don Alejandro firmly reminded him that it was he and Victoria that brought him in.

"You don't need the reward!" De Soto insisted.

"No, but the poor certainly can use it, and Padre Benites will be the one to properly oversee its distribution," Don Alejandro said. "If you'd spotted this before he turned his hand to kidnaping and arrested the criminal whose wanted poster was sitting on your desk, then you could do what you wish with the reward."

Diego could see that Victoria was about to add her own bit into the mix and not wanting things to escalate further, he said, "Naturally, you must be pleased to see the rewards go to the betterment of the community no matter how it's come to be. Now if you would excuse us. I think my family would like to go home and try to forget about... the strains of the day."

De Soto stared at him, annoyed but willing to save face. "Yes, of course. You all have had quite a trying experience. We can discuss more details later. We know enough for now."

"I'm certain you do," Don Alejandro said sharply. "It's always amazing how well you understand after everything is all over. So we'll leave it to you as it _has_ been a tiring day, and I believe we would all like to be home. Come along, children." Don Alejandro snapped his gloves in De Soto's direction before turning and marching for the door, not particularly waiting to see if Diego and Victoria followed, merely expecting them to.

Diego nodded in De Soto's direction before accompanying Victoria out the door. Felipe looked at them quizzically, but it was Don Alejandro who spoke.

"We're finished here. Let's go home," he said as he pulled on his gloves.

"Yes, let's," Victoria responded while Diego merely shrugged as he helped Victoria into the carriage.

De Soto strode out his office door. "However, I may wish to speak with you later," he called, attempting to sound authoritative.

"Yes," Alejandro shouted back as Felipe snapped the reins, sending the horses forward, " _much_ later."

~Z~Z~Z~

Once home, exhaustion seemed to settle over everyone like a heavy cloak. There was very little talking as they ate dinner, and Don Alejandro excused himself immediately thereafter.

Victoria looked at Diego. "I'm tired as well. How about you?" she asked, though her expression was ambiguous and he had no idea what she was thinking. "You must be tired, and we should check your ribs."

A man could get tired of being coddled, and Diego tried to repress his irritation as he replied. "I'm fine," he said, "but it has been a long day."

Diego and Victoria entered their room together. Silently they started to get undressed. Diego could feel the tension between them thickening the atmosphere. He hated this feeling.

"The rib protector did its job today," he said, trying to keep the edge of annoyance out of his voice. After all, it was because she cared that she was so overprotective, and yet still it chafed. "I'm fine; all my wounds are superficial." He pulled his shirt off, spreading his arms out so that she could see for herself. "There's no need to treat me as if I'm about to break."

"Really, is that what you think I'm doing?" Victoria asked, irritation in her own voice, as she came to stand in front of him.

She touched him lightly, her fingers ghosting a trail down his chest to his abdomen. His muscles involuntarily contracted, and something other than irritation began to course through his system.

"It certainly seems like it," Diego replied, taking her hands in his so that he could focus better. "I can understand it when other people are around. But even when it's just us, you seem overly worried about my health. At least since..." His voice trailed off.

Victoria stared at him. "Since _that_ man died?" she finished it as more of a question than a statement. She pulled her hands free of his and stepped closer to him, pushing him to sit down on the bed so that their eyes would be more in line. She placed her hands on his shoulders, while he rested his on his legs, not sure what to do. "And you think this is about your injuries?"

"It isn't?" he asked.

She shook her head. "If anyone one has been treated as if they're breakable, it's been me," she said. Her eyes drifted down to where his hands were. "It's your feelings more than how you're feeling that's been worrying me. Baquero was vile, and now he's dead. I know you hate that you were involved in that, but it's you he's left his mark on, not me. Or perhaps it's both of us, if you can't let go of the guilt and be the husband you've always been."

Diego stared at her for a moment before bringing his hands up to hold her waist lightly. "I think we both have scars from so many things, over so much time," he said softly. "But you're right that we can't let that change who we are and what we have together." He looked in her eyes for a moment before a smile came to his lips. Tightening his hold on her waist, he leaned forward. "So here's my thought. We can both finish getting undressed. Then I can examine you, and you can examine me, and we can prove to one another that neither of us is made of glass."

Victoria slid her hands into Diego's hair with a smile of her own. "Now that, my love, sounds like the perfect medicine for us both."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As odd as it may seem considering how very uncomfortable this episode was for me to deal with, I have been planning this story for a long time. I've always thought that the show went rather easy on Diego when it comes to Zorro being faced with killing someone. First there was Ramone who died by accident at Devil's Fortress. Yes, Zorro was taunting him, but Ramone's the one who grabbed the mask instead of the wall. Then there was Saragosa who fell on his own knife in a fight with Zorro. Again another accident. So I wanted another step closer; this too is an accident of sorts, but Diego (not Zorro) is truly angry. He may not have meant for Baquero to break his neck in the fall, but this is closer to a direct killing, though not much more than what happened with Saragosa. However, I wanted this to happen when Diego didn't have on a mask so that he didn't have that little extra bit of distance to help him deal with what happened.
> 
> And I know I've been a bit coy in my notes here, but the reason I have a hard time with "The Reward" is not what happened but what might have happened, and I am not particularly comfortable with either reading or writing about sexual assault (I have less trouble writing explicit violence than sexual violence, and I don't really write that either). The only nods to that particular brand of realism that ever appear in my stories are innuendo, leering, and vague threats, and possibly the implication of something having happened in the past or well off page to a character who does not appear in the story; any one being threatened in story will be rescued or rescue themselves before anything serious can occur. I am not putting down those writers that deal with the subject in a sensitive way. It's just that I can't handle it, so that's a big reason why most of the focus on this story was not the man's intentions towards Victoria but the consequences of Diego's defense of his wife. 
> 
> It was as I was discussing some of the details of the aftermath of Lamarca/ Baquero's death with my husband that he asked if he could write some of them, and as I am not terribly good with angsty situations, I agreed that he could so he's responsible for expanding the fight (and adding the knife) and the immediate aftermath as well as Alejandro's conversation with Diego, which is part of what made this story take so long to get ready since as previously mentioned he's deployed again and overworked so that he has very little time to write (or do much of anything other than his job).
> 
> I hope I did well by all the characters here; this was a tough story to write. Diego felt guilty, Victoria was angry, and I have no idea if those were the right choices, but they are the ones that ended up happening. Especially Victoria's anger, that just seemed to bubble up and stay there, and I hope that her and Diego's conflict was believable as well. After all, even loving married couples get angry and aggravated with each other at times, and they'd gone through a rough time, and neither was really sure how to deal with it. 
> 
> Also, I know I changed a lot with the character of Narcisco and even De Soto here. I just couldn't see De Soto, as he's been impressed a bit more with the de la Vega influence over the course of this AU than in the series, casually setting a wanted man against Diego simply to get the reward, nor did I think Narcisco would simply challenge a caballero in order to get the money (as he did the poor man in the episode), so I had De Soto not recognize Narcisco, and Narcisco play bounty hunter rather than just an angry friend before also resorting to poorly disguised kidnapping in order to get the money. And of course I had fun with De Soto once again losing the bounty out this time to Don Alejandro and Victoria.


	43. Hope Springs Eternal (Symbol of Hope)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sick boy calls for Diego's brains and Zorro's boldness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Symbol of Hope" was written by Carlton Hollander.

As she had been for the past several days, Victoria was in a sick room at the mission trying to coax food into Sergio, one of the orphans under Padre Benites's care.

"Come on, my angel," she prompted gently, holding the spoon to the boy's lips.

Padre Benites sat near the bed. "I've sent a messenger, but it will be at least a week before Doctor Hernandez returns from Monterey."

"And he's getting weaker by the hour," Victoria said. "I wish Diego were home. He would have some idea of what to do."

Padre Benites took the bowl and spoon and tried to coax the boy to eat. "Come, Sergio," he said. "Now you must not offend Señora de la Vega by refusing her renowned albondigas soup."

Victoria added her pleas to the padre's, as she took back the soup. "Come on, Sergio. You must eat. Come on. Just a little." She managed to get a small spoonful inside. "That's a boy."

"Señora, you have such a way with children," Padre Benites said.

"Well, how can I not? Especially with children who never had a mother nor a father," Victoria said. She herself had been effectively orphaned from the time of her mother's execution and her father's disappearance. She knew what it was like to feel alone in the world.

"You will be a very good mother to your own little ones," the father said.

"I am certainly looking forward to the chance," Victoria said, looking down. "Whenever it may be." She'd been recently disappointed to find out she wasn't expecting yet. In a whisper, she added, "It's not for want of trying." Then blushed as she realized the padre had heard her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Padre Benites smiled. "No reason to be embarrassed. It's perfectly natural, especially as newly wed as you two are. When does Don Diego return?"

"This afternoon, I hope," Victoria said with a sigh. "This is the longest we've been apart since we've been married. And Diego does know a lot about medicine. He might be able to help."

"I can only pray for his swift return then," Padre Benites said.

Before Victoria could reply, they were interrupted by the sounds of gunshots outside.

"That was close," Padre Benites said, as he stood up.

Victoria went to the window, as more shots were heard. Somehow though it seemed improbable that Diego could have managed to get home and find trouble so quickly, Victoria was not surprised to see a familiar figure in black riding up in pursuit of three bandits who had run into the pueblo.

"It's Zorro," she said to the padre.

Zorro was busily using his whip to disarm the bandits, when Sergio made his way to the window. Victoria was shocked that he had managed to rise from his bed and put an arm around the boy to keep him steady.

With more animation than he had shown in some time, Sergio called out to Zorro saying he knew he would come. Zorro looked at the window for a moment before his attention got called back to the lancers who were finally running out of the cuartel. However, he was almost clear of the pueblo while they were still fumbling with their muskets.

Sergio stared after him in a daze, saying, "It's all right. He will come back. And I will ride with him." His renewed strength didn't last much past his words, and Victoria and Padre Benites helped him back to his bed, where he lapsed into an uneasy sleep.

"Amazing," the padre said. "I would not have expected him to be able to get up much less speak."

"Yes," Victoria said, now wondering when she could expect to see Diego and wishing she could rush home to ask for his help, though she knew she could not. "It is the first sign of hope I've seen with him."

"I wonder if a personal visit from Zorro would do more," Padre Benites said. "Sometimes a bit of hope can do more than all the medicines in the world."

"It is unfortunate that Zorro isn't so easy to find nowadays," Victoria said vaguely, not wanting to give away too much. "Only when trouble like that is about, and we can't wish for more of _that_ , can we?"

"No, but perhaps if word gets around the pueblo about Sergio, then he might make a special appearance for the boy."

"Yes, of course," Victoria said. "Though it would have to be done carefully, as I don't think our alcalde would look kindly on Zorro's appearance even for such a good deed."

"True, unfortunately, but Zorro is quite the master of the stealthy entrance, so perhaps it could be managed."

"We can only hope," Victoria said, knowing that it would both be very easy and very difficult at the same time.

~Z~Z~Z~

With Sergio sleeping it seemed best for her to return to the tavern to wait for either evening or Diego's return. Señor Calvillo was busy handling the bar while she went back to cooking, but not before she told him the story of Sergio and Zorro and asked him to spread it carefully, with a nod in the direction of the alcalde's office. She still wasn't sure this was a good idea as there was no way to control the story once it started to spread, but it was still better to muddy the waters of where Zorro could have learned about Sergio and his plight.

Victoria tried to concentrate on her cooking as she waited, though it was not the quality that she was used to; at least Alicia and Pilar were there to see that the orders got out to the right customers. She had just finished sending out some albondigas soup and was preparing to go out to the herb garden when Diego suddenly appeared.

Throwing her arms around him, she gave him a passionate kiss which he returned, lifting her off her feet.

"Oh, I am so glad you're home," she said, when he finally put her down.

"As am I," Diego replied. He looked her in the eyes. "Now tell me what's bothering you. Señor Calvillo mentioned something about a sick boy at the mission and Zorro, but I was in too much of a hurry to see you again to pay attention."

He knew her too well. "Oh, Diego, Sergio's so ill with fever that he cannot eat. And the little that he does eat, he sustains no energy, no nourishment," she said. "And Dr. Hernandez is away. Do you think you could help?"

"I can certainly try," Diego said. "But what did this have to do with Zorro?"

"Oh, that," she said. "This morning outside the mission, when he saw Zorro, he arose out of bed and spoke for the first time in two days. He thought that Zorro had come to take him for a ride."

Diego looked confused. "Why would he think that?"

"He's a young boy. They have their fantasies," she said, keeping herself from saying that they weren't different from girls except possibly in the details.

"Does Sergio still believe that Zorro will come?" Diego asked.

"That he seems determined about, though he is so ill," Victoria said.

"Well, then I'm sure he will get his wish, though first we should see about getting him better," Diego said. "Since I actually brought the carriage to town, perhaps we might see if he's well enough to travel to the hacienda. I have my books and medicines there, and it's quieter than the pueblo."

"And if a certain masked man might determine to make an appearance, it would certainly be a more secure environment for it."

"True, though I suspect we might need to keep a look out our windows for lancers for the next few days."

"Unfortunately," Victoria agreed.

"Nevertheless, that's more Zorro's worry than ours if it comes down to it," Diego said. "Now let's go talk to Padre Benites and see what we can do for Sergio."

~Z~Z~Z~

Thus it was not more than two hours later that Sergio was ensconced in a guest room at the hacienda, after they carried him carefully out the back of the chapel and into the carriage. After all, no need to let De Soto in on their movements, _if_ he was interested in Zorro's possible interest in the matter. Victoria and Felipe watched over the boy while Diego went to pull out his copy of _Lettres de Toxicologie_ by the French physician Orfila, a collection of the latest scientific knowledge and the cures of certain illnesses, fevers, and maladies.

Now, Victoria said the boy had a fever, but more importantly she also said he was unable to retain nourishment, so he searched for information on the combination of those symptoms. It took some time, but he finally found what he was looking for, and he had enough ingredients for medicine that could help, though it would have to be administered very regularly for it to be effective. It was fortunate then that it would be easy enough for them to take turns watching over him, so that no one would bear the brunt of the care. However, it was unfortunate that Sergio hardly seemed to have the strength to swallow.

"Perhaps if..." Victoria made a sign of a _Z_. "... it might help him."

"Possibly, and now is probably the best time for it," Diego said softly. Felipe sat by the bed, while Victoria and Diego left the room. She headed for the kitchen to make more broth to hopefully ease the passage of the medicine.

Just as Diego was about to open the entrance to the cave, the front door opened, and his father walked in.

"How did you leave things in the pueblo?" he asked.

"Well, enough, especially if you're thinking that Zorro might pay the child a visit this evening, as it looks like our esteemed alcalde is setting up watch around the chapel tonight under the assumption that Zorro might show up there. At least that's what I gathered from a hint dropped by Sgt. Mendoza as well as what I observed myself before I left."

"While I doubt it would do as much good as actually entering the mission, a night's vigil might prove good for our alcalde's soul."

"I would prefer it if it turned out he caught whatever illness is passing about. A little suffering might do him a world of good."

"In any event, I am glad he is staying in the pueblo as it will certainly make things easier tonight, which is the most important thing." And with that Diego opened the fireplace and disappeared through the entrance.

~Z~Z~Z~

The library was empty when Zorro slipped back through it a short time later. Felipe was sitting in a chair beside the bed. Silently, Zorro signed for him to move to a chair in the corner of the room and pretend to sleep. Felipe nodded his head as he complied.

Sitting by the boy's bedside, Zorro brought some medicine up to the boy's lips. Sergio's eyes opened, and he stared up wonderingly at the masked man.

"Zorro, you've come," Sergio choked out weakly. "I knew you would. Have you come to take me on a ride?."

"Not yet," Zorro said, quietly, "but once you're well, I promise we will. And that's why I'm here."

"Is it?"

"Yes, for you to get well you need to take the medicines Doña Victoria and Don Diego give you. They both want you to get well too."

"I will try," Sergio whispered.

"Then you will get better, and we will take that ride. I know Toronado is looking forward to it."

This time Zorro slipped out of the window, since Sergio was watching, and he didn't want him to wonder why he was walking through the hacienda. He went over the roof to get back into the library and back to the cave.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was a long night. Sergio had rallied somewhat, which was a relief. Victoria was all for putting it down to Zorro's appearance, while Diego had an equal amount of faith in the medicines he was swallowing. But all told he was exhausted by morning when he turned Sergio's care back over to Victoria. He was walking to their room when he heard a loud banging on the front door.

In no fit state for company, nevertheless he went to see who was at the door, yanking it open impatiently. De Soto nearly fell inside but caught himself.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Alcalde?" Diego bit out.

De Soto looked taken aback for the moment. "I've come about the boy from the mission."

_Ignacio De Soto showing concern for a sick child. That is too good to be true._ "He's had a rough night, but we're hopeful about his recovery." Diego stood back from the door and let De Soto inside.

De Soto looked around the room suspiciously before saying, "That's not why I'm here. Has Zorro been here?"

_Of course, what was I thinking?_ "I certainly haven't seen him," Diego responded truthfully. "And I'd be hard-pressed to say that there could have been an opportunity. All our attention has been on Sergio. Now, unless there's something else, Ignacio, I've had a long night and would like to get some sleep before it's time for me to watch over Sergio again."

"I intend to station men around the hacienda in case that bandit appears."

"Are you telling me that you intend to exploit Zorro's compassion in order to try to capture him?"

"Of course. It's best to exploit his weakness. How else am I supposed to get a chance? He's hardly been appearing of late."

Diego glared at him. "I see. And instead of focusing on doing your duties or caring about the people under your purview, you would rather hover like an angel of death over a sick child, thinking only of your own ambitions. What is wrong with you, man?" he asked, exhaustion making him finally ask the questions that had been bothering him since the moment De Soto had shown he cared nothing for the people he was going to serve and only his own ambitions. "What happened to the man I met in Madrid? You were an exceptional student, and I remember how you looked after some of the weaker students. There was one... the one they called your little shadow... what was his name?"

"Silvio," De Soto bit out through a nasty glare.

Oh, yes, Diego recalled a bit better now. He had been put through the university by an anonymous patron who was helping him into a career in the military, though everyone figured it was the man's unknown but most likely aristocratic father, salving his conscience by giving him that much assistance, though not the connections or even a name of known to truly get him ahead. Other students, more prestigious students, had not been kind, but Diego had been impressed with how De Soto had protected him, though he had his own struggles for acceptance.

"What happened to him?" Diego asked. 

"He died," De Soto said, his voice strangely even, though his glare was even angrier if possible.

"What happened?" Diego asked again in a much gentler tone.

De Soto glare burned into him for a long moment before he finally said, "He showed compassion at the wrong moment and died for it." He turned to the side pacing into the salon. "He should have been a priest not a soldier and especially not an officer. But it wasn't as if he had been given a choice in the matter. His father, whoever he might have been, insisted on that career. Always the men in power doing what they will and the rest of us struggling to deal with the consequences."

"I'm sure you did your best for him," Diego said.

"It wasn't enough!" De Soto snapped. "I was his sergeant, but there's only so much I could do in the heat of battle." He went quiet for a moment and then shrugged as if it didn't matter. "He died; I avenged him. For that I got a field promotion and learned a valuable lesson about ruthlessness."

"I hardly think that was the only lesson," Diego said. "But I imagine it was painful to contemplate the others. However, that does not mean you had to embrace ruthlessness and self interest to the exclusion of your better nature."

"What better nature?" De Soto grumbled. "De la Vega, I have no time for your foolishness."

Diego smiled without humor. "I think you have a good deal of time. More than you like, if you are grasping at straws this way. After all, if your goal is to truly return to Madrid, there are other ways than by capturing Zorro. My father as well as some of the other caballeros do still have connections of importance in Spain, and if they felt you were carrying out your duties with fairness and compassion, they might help you achieve your ends."

De Soto looked at Diego suspiciously. "What is it you're saying, de la Vega?"

"You know what I'm saying," Diego said. "There's a sick boy who for some reason looks to Zorro as his hero, enough to give him strength during a dire illness. Regardless of what you or I may think of it, should you not err on the side of compassion here? If Zorro can help the boy recover, let him. You can always chase him again when he's actually doing something worthy of being chased."

Cocking an eyebrow at him, De Soto said, "Regardless of what we think? It sounds as if you have some difficulty with Zorro."

Diego sighed and spoke carefully. "Not with Zorro, per se, but I'm puzzled at why anybody would want to _be_ him. Alone, hunted, no friends, no family, unable to be part of a community, unable to ever unmask. It's hardly glamorous."

De Soto cracked a slight smile. "No, but a boy would only see a man with a sword and a magnificent horse able to ride where he wills and fight bandits or injustice or whatever it is that simple people think that Zorro does. Even hating him as I do, I can understand that. You really are too peace-loving for words," De Soto said, but there was no heat left in his words.

"Perhaps I am," Diego said. "But I don't think it's that bad of a thing."

"You wouldn't," De Soto said, then straightened his shoulders. "You say that your father might be willing to help me to a promotion."

Diego hadn't exactly said that, but he had certainly implied something along those lines. "He might. He has friends in Monterey and in Madrid; there's always someone who knows someone who needs help filling a position of trust. But my father has a very firm sense of justice, and he would need to feel that he is recommending the right man for the right position, and right now, he doesn't particular trust you to live up to your potential."

De Soto's eyes narrowed. "I see." He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'm going to leave a couple of men here in case someone might think to use the boy against Zorro. After all, I'm not the only one who heard the story, and as long as Zorro doesn't cause any trouble, I won't prevent him from helping the boy. Just warn him, _if_ you see him, to not take advantage of my generosity."

Taken aback, though he had been trying to lead De Soto in that direction and not entirely sure what had inspired De Soto nor if he could actually trust his words, Diego replied, "I would not think of it. Thank you, Ignacio."

"Don't mention it," De Soto said clearly meaning it. "Now I need to return to my duties. The pueblo will not run itself."

"No, it certainly will not," Diego said, opening the door for De Soto to leave.

For several long moments after the door closed behind the alcalde, Diego stood there perfectly bemused, wondering if he had dreamed this encounter with De Soto. Exhaustion could do strange things to a man, but he hoped not that strange. Though what he really wanted to do was crawl into bed, he knew he needed to tell Victoria, who was the one currently sitting with Sergio what had happened and let her tell his father when he got up.

Victoria listened in silence as Diego told of De Soto's visit. "Do you believe him?" she asked, skepticism ripe in her voice.

"I would like to," Diego said, "but..."

"Exactly," she said. "We've been burned before." Then she shrugged. "It won't matter for today anyway; I'm sure Zorro won't be visiting until Sergio's well enough for a ride. You should get some sleep now."

Too tired to do more, Diego kissed Victoria's cheek before leaving the room to go crawl into his own bed for a few hours sleep.

~Z~Z~Z~

Sergio's health continued to improve during the day thanks to the medicine and possibly Don Alejandro's stories of Zorro that he told during lunch time when Sergio was most wakeful. Diego tried not to feel embarrassed as he brought in the boy's medicine at the tail end of Don Alejandro's telling the story of Dr. Henry Wayne and the traps he'd made for the alcalde and how Zorro had thwarted them.

Once Sergio was asleep again, the de la Vegas gathered to discuss De Soto's visit and his apparent backing down over the notion of using a sick child as bait.

"What do you think of that?" Victoria asked Don Alejandro.

"Not much more than either of you. Can we trust him? Does it even matter if we do?"

"In one sense it does," Diego said, "as Zorro has promised to give Sergio a ride on Toronado once he's well enough, and I know the Fox would not want to endanger the boy unnecessarily."

"Perhaps then he should visit this evening," Don Alejandro said. "See what happens. Sergio's out of immediate danger. He doesn't need constant watching. I can check on him through the night. And I trust that Zorro can outfight and outrun any pursuit, if the worst happens."

Diego said nothing for the moment but looked at Victoria who said, "Sergio has asked for Zorro. I think it might be a good idea for him to visit and encourage him."

"You both have a good point," Diego said. "Now it all depends on what happens, though I imagine that Zorro will not be going out of his way to be seen until after his visit."

"No need to make it easy for anyone," Victoria said.

"Precisely," Don Alejandro said, "and it never is."

Indefinably uncomfortable, Diego gave a nod and went back to preparing Sergio's next dose of medicine. This was one that would not make him sleepy, so he would be likely still be awake in an hour's time.

~Z~Z~Z~

Considering the possible interested parties outside of the hacienda, Diego decided it was best to take out Toronado and ride around the long way to get to the hacienda. Hopefully all would go well and he'd be able to visit Sergio and leave without detection, but if not he would be giving the lancers a target to chase that would lead away from the hacienda and the cave.

Toronado seemed to relish the night run. There was a freedom even if there was a danger in the dark. Nevertheless things did actually go to plan and soon Zorro was climbing into the window of Sergio's room, where the boy was currently alone

"Zorro!" he exclaimed. "You've returned."

"Yes, my young friend. I had heard that you were doing better and came to see for myself."

Sergio struggled to sit up.

"Zorro, will you take me with you?" Sergio asked. "I don't take much room, and I'm a hard worker..." He coughed violently. "When I'm well that is. I'd be the best helper."

Zorro took a deep breath and tried to find the right (gentle) words. "Mine is a very solitary life. All I have is a cave to call home and a mask to hide behind. And someone with your courage and bravery should not have to hide as I do."

Sergio looked puzzled. "But you're the bravest man in the world," he exclaimed.

Zorro smiled a little sadly. "If I was I wouldn't need a mask. There are many forms of courage. The courage to persevere under difficulties, to protect the weak, to do what is right especially when it is difficult."

"How can I be brave?"

"You already are," he said. "You fight against your illness; you want to stand and fight against oppression. You can be a source of strength at the orphanage, to help the other children when they are struggling. Protect them as best you can when you can."

"That's not much."

"It's more than you think. I ride in, save the day, and then disappear back into my cave. You get to be there for the people you care about all the time. Sometimes, that is enough."

Sergio looked thoughtful for a moment. He didn't look totally convinced but swallowed hard, straightened himself as best he could, and put on a determined expression. "I'll be brave. I promise."

Zorro smiled warmly, heartened by the boy's words. "And I'll hold you to it. And when you're finally well enough, I'll keep my promise."

Sergio's face seemed to light up at the assurance that he would get his ride with Zorro. "I'll be ready soon. I'm getting better every day."

"Well, you're in very good care."

Zorro stayed by Sergio's side as he settled back into bed. It was not long before the boy was asleep and Zorro was silently making his way back to the window. Before he vanished into the dark, he took one last look back. Being Zorro had been costly, and he had spent so much time questioning if it was all worth it but seeing Sergio recover buoyed his confidence and made him wonder who was actually giving hope to the other.

Now outside, Zorro could give some consideration to De Soto's lancers, who had caused no disturbances and whose presence he could have missed entirely if he were a more careless type. Curiosity made him seek them out, and it took barely a moment to spot Corporal Sepulveda and Private Sanchez, leaning against the outside wall of the hacienda, talking casually.

"Sepulveda, what are we really doing here?" Sanchez was asking as Zorro got into hearing range.

"I don't know," Sepulveda said. "First we're looking for Zorro. Now we're looking for trouble that's not Zorro."

"Maybe the alcalde is punishing us again."

"But for what? He didn't say we were being punished. He's usually very clear about that."

"You haven't taken any more blackberries again, have you?"

"No," Sepulveda said. "There haven't been any, and you know it."

There was silence for a long moment, then Sanchez said, "Maybe he's feeling guilty or maybe Don Alejandro intimidated him. You know he doesn't like looking weak."

"And he doesn't apologize— or share," Sepulveda said. "So we get stuck here because he's pretending that this was his idea all along, hmm?"

"Sounds right," Sanchez said. "But that means no one is going to care if we take turns sleeping."

"True," Sepulveda said, "and since I'm the ranking officer, I get to sleep first. Wake me if anything happens."

Sanchez grumbled, but Zorro was moving away at that point, and it no longer mattered.

So De Soto was apparently sincere in his declaration about leaving Zorro alone when it came to visiting Sergio. Curious. He never ceased to astonish, for good or for ill. Perhaps, just perhaps, there was hope for the man yet.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego did a final check on Sergio before retiring to his and Victoria's room. Though it was still early, Victoria was already asleep, not that he was surprised as she had spent much of the day looking after their charge, and she had not had much sleep the day before either. But as he settled into the bed she opened her eyes and spoke sleepily.

"Is everything well?" she asked.

"As well as can be expected," Diego said. "Zorro paid a brief visit undisturbed by any lancers, though Sepulveda and Sanchez were at the wall, watching for whatever they were watching for."

"You mean, they weren't after Zorro?"

"Apparently not, though I don't think they even knew what they were supposed to be doing there."

"I certainly don't," Victoria said. "Our alcalde makes no sense."

"I'm sure he would agree with you if he ever managed to try to understand himself," Diego said. "Suffice it to say, I think we can have an easy night's sleep provided Sergio's health continues to improve."

"When do you think he will be well enough to... re— ride with Zorro?" Victoria asked.

"I think in a couple of days," Diego said. "Zorro could give him a short ride once he's out of bed." He didn't let on that he suspected she had started to ask about Sergio returning to the orphanage. He knew that she was reluctant to let him go back, and he understood why, yet theirs was a house full of secrets, secrets they did not need yet another person privy to. And deep down, Sergio's hero worship of Zorro made him feel ill at ease. The boy seemed to see him as more than human, and however selfish it made him, that was an added pressure he did not want.

No, it would not be possible to take Sergio into their home, but perhaps to make Victoria happy, it might behoove them to look for a family that could give Sergio a proper home, one without the complexities of the De la Vega hacienda, one where he'd be appreciated. Still, Diego hoped rather than believed they could make that happen. It was difficult enough for all the children in the orphanage to find homes. In the end, he knew that all the children were cared for as best they could be and were not in danger of the abuses he had heard of in other orphanages.

"That would do wonders to encourage his recovery," Victoria said, before adding with a certain amount of forced cheerfulness, "and something to tell his friends when he goes home."

"I suppose so," Diego said.

Victoria's eyes opened a bit and she rolled over so that she could look at him. "Why do you say that?" she asked. "Zorro has always been a hero. It can't really surprise you."

Diego sighed. Sometimes his wife saw too much. "I don't know, to be honest. Maybe it wouldn't have really bothered me in the beginning. It was all a bit of a game then. Not that I didn't take it seriously, but..."

"You weren't too worried about the long term consequences," Victoria finished for him.

"I never imagined there would be a _long term_. And the wear of having to hide so much from the people I loved, to make you think less of me." Diego was quiet for a moment. "Well, it was a little amusing, the secret, but then there would be times when I would feel the full burden of the disguise, and it wasn't so funny." He rested his hand lovingly against the side of her face. "When you found out that took away a tremendous weight and yet..."

"Added another. It's never going to be easy, even sharing the burden, but we _will_ carry it together."

"I know," Diego said. "It's just that now I mostly see the frustrations of being Zorro, not whatever those who admire him think he is or represents."

"Oh, Diego, I think you know well enough; it's just that to you it has become such a small part of Zorro that you don't want to think about it any more." She was quiet for a moment and then smiled slightly. "Or perhaps you don't want to think about it when you're not wearing the mask."

"What do you mean?" Diego asked startled.

"Oh, I think you know what I mean. When you're Zorro, you have excitement, danger, action. You're free to behave in a way you would never act without the mask. That's not something you can really hate. Not really, or Zorro would never have been quite the... dashing and disarming figure he appears to be."

Diego smiled back at her. "You have a point," he said. "I can't say that I've hated being Zorro over the years." He caressed her face. "Though being your husband certainly is more enjoyable."

"Yes," Victoria said, leaning in to give him a light kiss. "If only we could do something about it."

Diego sighed. While it was unlikely, they might be disturbed at any moment, and he really didn't want to risk that unsatisfying eventuality. Besides, he knew that Victoria was tired and needed her rest.

"Soon," he said, with a soft kiss to her forehead. "Until then I suggest we try getting some sleep. There will be time for more pleasant things later."

~Z~Z~Z~

By the next day, Sergio was wanting to leave his bed, and while he was not allowed to go far, he was clearly feeling much better. And after seeing how well he was doing, in the evening they decided that they'd wait just one more day and then it would be time for Zorro to give him his ride.

Also, after being fed breakfast by Maria, the two lancers who'd spent their time outside the gate returned to the pueblo and were not replaced by any other watchers. Don Alejandro suspected that De Soto had done just enough to try to save face without really fooling anybody, while Diego was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he had been the one to speak with him, and he was sure that De Soto had not meant to say as much as he had said.

On the day that Sergio was going outside, Diego contrived an excuse to be away, not that Sergio seemed overly interested, especially with Victoria mothering him. She and Don Alejandro had brought Sergio into the garden when Zorro came riding up on Toronado.

"Good morning," Zorro said, dismounting. "I heard that you were doing better and thought today would be a good day for a visit."

"Do I get a chance to ride with you?" Sergio asked

"Of course, I always keep my promises," Zorro replied, helping the boy onto Toronado. "Now what do you say that we go explore the countryside a little?"

Sergio agreed enthusiastically. He was excited to be riding Zorro's famous horse with him.

"Is it true that you're the greatest tracker in the world?" Sergio asked.

"I wouldn't say that," Zorro replied. "I've met at least one better. And where there's one, well..." Zorro shook his head a bit, and then said, "How about I show you some of the basics and perhaps you too will become a better tracker." He had no intentions of keeping Sergio out too long, and this would be a rather mild exercise.

So Zorro took the opportunity to show him some rudimentary tracking signs, things to look for. They'd ridden out to a more isolated area, and thus Zorro was surprised when he spotted the signs of a number of horses having passed by on the rather dry track of road.

As he was looking at the ground, Sergio pointed out a thin plume of smoke in the distance. "What kind of fire is that?" he asked.

Zorro stared at it. "I'd say campfire," he said. "Definitely controlled. But it is rather off the beaten track." He was curious. It could just be some travelers or possibly vaqueros (sometimes they had to go further afield to track down errant cattle). Curiosity made him want to check it out but with Sergio with him it seemed too much of a risk just for curiosity.

But there was now something more than curiosity suddenly edging up his spine. He wasn't sure what it was. Looking around with apparent casualness, he caught sight of a flash of light off glass at the top of a slope to the front and side of where the plume of smoke was rising. A good lookout position. Not necessarily too suspicious, but there was something else. What was it?

Oh, yes. The bird calls. He had heard two and now a third, and they weren't right. From different directions. Definitely signals of some kind, and this area would be a good place for an ambush. Plenty of places for men to hide along with horses. Could De Soto be laying a trap?

No, that made no sense. He could have no idea what direction Zorro would be taking this morning or even that he would be riding out at all, and the bird signals weren't really something De Soto was known for. So who was out here, and what or who were they looking for?

It was then he heard the horses coming from the opposite direction, quite a number from the sound of it, faint though it was. Perhaps this was the answer to the question. Helping Sergio back onto Toronado, he turned back in the direction that they'd come from. He could hear bird calls from them, but no action as he walked Toronado out of sight of the one lookout he had spotted. 

Once cleared, he put one arm firmly around Sergio and urged Toronado forward in order to check on the on coming horses. Something wasn't right, and he still had his passenger to worry about. He worked his way up another hill, one with a few trees to give him a bit of cover, and looked out to see De Soto and a number of lancers riding in a hurry in the direction of the plume of smoke.

Something was most definitely wrong, and despite his earlier reservations, Zorro felt he had to investigate what was going on. De Soto usually didn't head out with his men unless he felt there was something important, and Zorro needed to be sure that no innocents were in danger.

He didn't like that he needed to take Sergio with him, but he couldn't be sure if there was anything to be concerned about, and he needed to be sure that Sergio was close at hand if they needed to flee.

"What's going on?" Sergio asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "But I think we'd better see what is going on. However, I am going to need you to keep quiet and do exactly what I tell you."

"Of course," the boy said. "Whatever you say."

Maneuvering himself to a position close enough to speak but far enough to escape if necessary, Zorro called out to the approaching group, "Alcalde, what brings you out this fine morning?"

Startled, De Soto brought his horse to an abrupt stop before signaling his men as well. He took a moment to notice Zorro's passenger. "Zorro," he called back, "I have more important things to do than deal with your foolishness today. I suggest you take that boy back to wherever you took him from. There are criminals in these hills, and I'm going to capture them."

"Alcalde, I think whoever you're after, they're well aware that you're coming, or at the very least on the lookout for you."

"I think my men are well equipped to deal with a few bandits," De Soto said. "Now just go. As well trained as my men are, this could turn ugly, and battle is no place for a boy. Get him out of here before I arrest you for endangering him."

_As well trained as your men are, battle is no place for them either_ , Zorro thought, but he knew that arguing with De Soto generally was a fruitless effort. He gave a cheeky salute and turned around and headed away.

"You're not running away, are you, Zorro?" Sergio asked.

"No," Zorro said. "But I'm going to have to find another way to be sure nothing goes wrong here."

Zorro headed Toronado in the direction of the smoke, not feeling that this was ideal but the best he could do under the circumstances. It was slower going than usual, but he was ahead of the lancers, and he soon found a spot that he felt he could leave Sergio safely out of sight for the moment.

"Stay here," he said. "If worse comes to worst, follow that path down the hill and keep going straight. You should reach the de la Vegas' quickly enough to summon some more help if needed." Actually, he knew it would take too long, but it would get Sergio away from the trouble, or at least he hoped it would. Of all his current options this seemed the best.

"I don't want to leave you," Sergio said.

"Sometimes the brave thing is knowing when to follow orders," Zorro said. "And this may be nothing to worry about, but I'm not taking any chances, and I need you to be ready to do what I say. All right?"

"All right," Sergio replied with a frown, as he reluctantly sat down in the shelter of the small outcropping.

Even with his insistence, Zorro was not certain that Sergio would stay, but for now he would have to have faith that the boy would do what he was told because it was Zorro who told him to.

Now the next question was what to do. He suspected an ambush laid for the lancers, who would be there soon, and if so he needed to disrupt that and quickly. This called for a distraction. Now what had he packed on Toronado? He hadn't expected much of an adventure with Sergio, just a ride with perhaps a stop for tracking, but wait, he had packed some small fireworks and a smoke bomb that they could set off before they turned back for home. Something fun and relatively harmless to end their time together, just a little light, a little noise and some smoke. Now if only he could cause it to make a bit more noise and in the right place to draw some attention to the wrong direction, and it would have to be fast.

He urged Toronado on around to a place out of sight of the watcher on the hill and brought out the fireworks which had a long fuse. Lighting it, he leapt back onto Toronado, keeping the smoke bomb in hand and as if being chased, started charging down the center of the path leading back towards the plume of smoke ahead, tossing the smoke bomb to the side as he reached what he thought was probably the most perilous part of the road.

He immediately veered away from the path, to make himself less of a target. He could hear a shot behind him, followed by a yell. Good. So much for an ambush. The lancers should be able to hear them and react, hopefully a little better than they usually did. But he couldn't rely on that. Pulling out his whip, he swerved over in the direction of the yelling.

Several men were up and running down the hill towards some horses. Zorro sped past them, managing to get there before them and scatter the horses before turning back and using his whip against the men approaching him, fighting the strong sense of familiarity as he had done nearly the same thing only days past.

As he fought the men in front of him, Zorro could hear the sound of horses rushing closer and more pistol shots. The lancers must have arrived. The last man in front of him went down, and Zorro worked his way back around to see what was happening.

He nearly groaned in frustration when he saw that the lancers were in the worst possible position in relation to the bandits that were firing down on them. What was wrong with De Soto? Would the man never listen to him? At least they were being partially protected by the smoke though it was blinding them as well.

He made his way behind the largest group of bandits who were just a bit too close together in order to take advantage of the cover of one of the larger rocks. He leapt down into them just as a couple were trying to reload their pistols. With some well placed, perfectly timed punches and kicks, he quickly subdued the men before looking to see where else he was needed. There couldn't be too many left now.

He saw three more men taking cover behind a tree and another rock further down. His whip whirled out and caught one man by the leg. He yanked him back, knocking him into the man next to him. The third man turned but not before Zorro was close enough to punch him.

He could hear De Soto urging his men to attack now that the shots had stopped, but they seemed determined to stay under cover for the moment. Zorro finished subduing the men before ducking around to get a better view of what was happening. Now he could see De Soto as he hesitantly stood, sword in one hand and pistol in the other.

Zorro let his gaze dart around in order to look for other threats. Movement on the hill opposite caught his eye. For a split second, he thought it might be Sergio, as it was near where he had been left behind, but then he saw the flash of a gun, pointed at De Soto's back.

"Alcalde! Duck!" he shouted.

De Soto's head whipped around, but he was moving too slowly, especially for a man who tended to have an exaggerated sense of self-preservation, and Zorro was too far away to do anything.

Time seemed both to simultaneously slow and speed up as Zorro saw the pistol jerk upward as the man started to pitch forward, tumbling down the hillside. Confused, Zorro stared at the spot where the man had been and finally saw Sergio standing up a large stick in his hand.

Zorro made his way in the direction of De Soto. The alcalde had seen and heard him, there was no point in being stealthy now and it was the fastest, most direct way back to Sergio. He stopped a few feet away from De Soto, who still had his sword and pistol drawn. For what seemed like a long time, both were quiet, exchanging intent stares.

"I distinctly remember telling you to get the boy away from here," De Soto said flatly.

"It would seem that it is to your good fortune alcalde that I didn't," Zorro replied, looking in the direction of the hill where Sergio still stood.

De Soto cast a glance toward the boy. "So it would seem." He eased his pistol into its holster but kept his sword at the ready.

"Yes, so it would," Zorro replied, hoping the situation was becoming defused.

"Now, if you don't mind, my men and I need to get to taking in these bandits."

"So... you're not going to arrest me?" Zorro asked with wry smile.

"It's not too late!" De Soto snapped. "But as it is, I need you to see to getting the young hero back where he belongs."

"Well, if you're quite certain you don't need any help..."

"Just go!" De Soto growled, jerking his head in Sergio's direction.

"Very well," Zorro said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. He let out a loud whistle and in a matter of moments, Toronado was at his side. "In the meantime, I'll be looking forward to our next meeting."

"You shouldn't, and I won't," De Soto growled.

Zorro mounted Toronado, tipped his hat at De Soto, and took off to collect Sergio and hasten him back to the hacienda. Zorro suspected their next meeting was going to be very soon, and if Sergio wasn't back where he belonged, then it was going to be every bit as unpleasant as De Soto was suggesting. 

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego made his return to the house as swiftly as possible once Sergio was taken inside. He met Victoria as she was coming out of Sergio's room. "How is he?" he asked.

"Tired but very excited," she said. "I've heard all about what happened from him." She frowned.

Diego didn't have to ask to know why. "Zorro told him to stay hidden, but apparently his inner heroism is far more powerful than his obedience to orders. And he did save the alcalde's life. And the alcalde scolded Zorro for putting him in harm's way."

"He did?" Victoria sounded taken aback and unhappy that she and De Soto could have anything in common. She looked at the papers Diego was holding in his hand. "What are those?"

He smiled at the change of topic. "It's what I've been working on in between... everything," he said, spreading the papers open on top of the piano.

Victoria looked down at the sketches. "Is that a... bed?" she asked, apparently a little puzzled by what she saw.

"Yes, for a specific purpose," he said. "With all the injuries and sicknesses we've had in the family as well as the community," he pointed in the direction of Sergio's room, "I've gotten to think it might be useful to design a bed that is a bit more invalid friendly. I remembered once seeing some designs for a bed with an adjustable head piece and thought that it might be useful, more useful than stacking pillows to help a patient sit up. Though I haven't quite worked out how to make it work. Perhaps a ratcheting system. And perhaps some kind of wedge or pulley system for dealing with injured legs. I'm not sure yet. I'd hope to make it easily portable as well so it could be set up quickly when required and stored away when not. However, this is all very preliminary. I'll need time to determine the best way to handle it."

"I'm sure you'll find the right way," Victoria said. "You always manage to. And I know that this would be very useful."

"I hope so," Diego said. "Once the prototype is done, it should be easier to determine how to improve it. I think that if I..." He was interrupted by an abrupt but all too familiar banging on the door.

Victoria gave him a knowing look. "I'll go prepare something for Sergio to eat," she said with a sigh.

"And I'll go see what De Soto wants." He kissed her and reluctantly made his way to the front of the hacienda. He put a hand on the door handle and took a deep breath before swinging it open. "Alcalde," he said, barely trying to feign surprise. Without a word, De Soto strode in. "Yes," Diego muttered, "please... please do come in."

"Where is the boy?" De Soto asked, dispensing with anything that could be mistaken for a social nicety.

"You mean Sergio?"

"Do you have another one here?" De Soto quipped with more than a hint of irritation in his voice.

The uncharacteristically quick retort caught Diego off guard. "Oh, uh, yes, of course, how silly of me," Diego replied. "He's in bed. Why? Is anything wrong?"

"There most certainly is. My lancers and I just caught a gang of dangerous bandits, and while hunting them down, who should I run into? Zorro! Not that that surprises me. No, what surprises me is that Sergio, an orphan of the pueblo entrusted to _your_ care, was with him." De Soto pointed an accusatory finger at Diego. "Would you care to explain how that happened?"

"There is nothing to explain," Diego answered coolly (he hoped). "After all, Zorro did promise the boy a ride once he was better. I don't understand why you're excited about it. Sergio was feeling up to going out and..."

"And _you_ let him! You just let him ride off into who knows what and who knows where, clearly with no thought of what could happen."

"My thought was that the promise of that ride was keeping Sergio on the way to getting well. He was feeling up to it, so, yes, I let him. And may I remind you that you said you wouldn't interfere as long as Zorro was helping him?"

"Riding him into a nest of cutthroats and thieves is hardly helping! But that's just about the sort of short-sighted, insane thing that a hardened criminal like Zorro would do."

"Not everyone shares your view of Zorro as a 'hardened' criminal."

"No. I wouldn't expect you to. No, you're just like all the other caballeros. You have the luxury of romanticizing his criminal exploits because you're separated from them. Your wealth and position shields you. You don't have to deal with them like I do. But whatever your feelings, not even you can deny that Zorro has a way of attracting trouble or finding himself squarely in the middle of it, and no boy, much less a sick one, has any business being near that."

Diego had long since grown accustomed to De Soto's seemingly perpetual, self-absorbed sense of indignation. The man had a talent for making everything about himself but this was something different, a side of De Soto he had not seen. By all appearances, he was acting as if he genuinely cared about Sergio's welfare, and that was something for which Diego was completely unprepared. "Well," Diego smiled warmly, "I'm gratified to see your concern."

De Soto drew himself up straight, adjusted his coat by the lapels, and looked Diego straight in the eye. "I'm the alcalde," he said flatly, "The well-being of all the people of the pueblo is my top priority."

"Of course," Diego said smoothly. He sensed he had struck a nerve, that De Soto had revealed more than he intended, and he was not about to simply let it go. "As true as that may be, you've never been one to be bothered to inquire after individual citizens. Yet, here you are, taking what appears to be a special interest in this boy. Why?"

"I have already told you," De Soto spat. "As alcalde I take my responsibility for the people of Los Angeles seriously and that includes Sil...Sergio."

It was a small slip but it told so very much. It left Diego wildly unsure about the man before him. He took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them until their faces were only inches apart. "What is this about? Tell me, Ignacio. It's just you and me here. What is this _really_ about? Is this about Silvio? I don't know what happened, but I have no doubt he was a good soldier and..."

"No! No, he wasn't a good soldier. He was a fool. He was idealistic and naive...just like you. I don't know what you're getting at, but it would be in your best interest to let it go. As it is, the boy is safe, Zorro is nowhere to be found. Much to your good fortune, I'm not in the mood to have you jailed for associating with him." He pushed past Diego and made his way to the door. "Nor am I in the mood to continue with this discussion."

Just as De Soto reached the door, Diego turned to him. "What happened to Silvio?" he asked, knowing full well he was now treading on thin ice but also that this may be his last chance to pry some humanity out him.

For what seemed like a long time, De Soto stood there, saying nothing. At length, he said, "I told you. He showed kindness to a man who would never have done the same, and he died for it. I learned to never make that same mistake."

"I'm sorry for what happened to Silvio," Diego said softly.

De Soto replied with only a humph then jerked the door open and slammed it shut behind him.

"And," Diego sighed, "I'm sorry for what happened to you."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The revised version of the conversation between Victoria and Padre Benites was the first part I wrote and in fact was written far, far before the rest of the story as in probably about three years before the rest of the tale (yeah, this whole thing took me a long time to write). 
> 
> The greatest difficulty with this story was trying to keep some sort of plot going since obviously there was no need for Victoria to broadcast a need for Zorro, though I kept it with Padre Benites telling the story just so that Victoria could have plausible deniability about how Zorro would have found out about Sergio. And also because initially I was still trying to work out how De Soto was going to behave as he did in the episode when so much was going to be altered. 
> 
> I was working on this story at the same time as I was struggling with "The Reward", and while I had come to one decision on how I intended to handle the story, I ended up stalled so long that I forgot the fine details, and as I was trying to remember, I was hit with an entirely different notion of how to keep some kind of plot without having to have De Soto threaten a sick boy, as that level of ruthless behavior doesn't entirely suit him any more, actually I thought it was a bit much in the episode itself though not overly out of character. And after that, I still got stalled trying to work out the new revised ending (a combination of life issues and having problems with the logistics of the situation).
> 
> Anyway, for some reason, I felt compelled to give De Soto a little back story as well as a friend in order to explain a little of the reason why he behaves he does, but only a very little of that made it into the story as usual, and it was very strange to come up with something that might make De Soto even a little sympathetic much less urge him to behave compassionately, but here it is. I'm not really sure how well it works. 
> 
> Sadly, I've never been overly fond of the young actors on Zorro with the obvious exception of Felipe, and it was a challenge to figure out what to do with Sergio since I cut out his reason to be brave about De Soto. And at the same time weirdly what emerged was Diego's discomfort with Sergio's hero worship of Zorro. To him it isn't exactly the glamorous life it appears to be, even if it does give him an opportunity to be someone else and indulge in derring do.


	44. On the Horns of a Dilemma (My Word is My Bond) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A broken leg makes investigating horse thefts rather difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "My Word is My Bond" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor.
> 
> The opening sequence in the plaza is entirely the work of ghettooutlaw as I am not very good with action scenes.

Diego coughed and blinked his eyes against the dust that filled the air. He tried to shut out the frantic shouting and panicked screams of the people that ran all around him in every direction. If he was going to keep anyone from being hurt (or worse), to include himself, this was going to take all his concentration. Diego's eyes darted left and right but in the confusion and excitement, he had managed to get backed into a corner. There was no way out except straight ahead.

The bull snorted as it pawed the ground. It lowered its head, making ready to charge. Diego tightened his grip on the only weapon he had been able to find in a hurry. He hoped against hope that he looked more menacing than he felt as he readied his broomstick.

_No,_ he thought, _this is not at all how I imagined this day was going to go._

~Z~Z~Z~

It was market day, and the whole of Los Angeles was crowded into the pueblo to buy, sell and trade, perhaps a little cheerier with their alcalde out of town. Diego had ridden into town early that morning with his father, helping him bring in some cattle he had been waiting to auction off. After he and Alejandro had them corralled, Diego excused himself so he could go to the newspaper office. It was still early, and the largest crowd wouldn't be there until that afternoon, and he wanted finish getting the paper ready to distribute.

After a few hours of getting the latest issue printed and copies folded and stacked, he was shaken from the monotony of the activity by a sudden spate of shouting from outside. Loud though it was, it didn't seem at first to be outside the normal clamor associated with market day. But it quickly grew more and more boisterous, compelling him to go see what the commotion was all about.

Diego made it only half-way across the room when the door burst open and there stood Victoria. "Diego... quick," she exclaimed between gasps for air.

"Victoria? What? What is it?"

"In the plaza," she pointed back behind her. "Your father...Señor Calvillo... a bull..." she gasped.

"What?" Diego asked, even more confused.

"Come!" she declared, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out of the office.

Within moments, they were at the market where Diego beheld a scene of total chaos. Carts and stalls were overturned and smashed; fruits and vegetables scattered all over the ground; and lancers were darting about in a clueless manner, seemingly with no idea what was going on and even less of an idea of what to do. In the middle of it all was an extraordinarily large bull, bucking, snorting, kicking, and spinning around wildly.

A number of vaqueros surrounded the animal. Some of them held ropes that had been looped around the beast's horn while others tried frantically to get more lassos in place to bring the bull down. Among those clinging frantically to a rope was Alejandro, and bad as that was, Señor Calvillo was truly in the thick of it with his arms wrapped about the bull's head, trying to wrestle him to the ground.

The scene would have been almost humorous were it not for the very real danger to all those trying to subdue the animal. The bull spun quickly to one side, bringing its body around in nearly a complete circle in a single motion. With it, it pulled the rope onto which Alejandro was holding. Not letting go of his grip, he was flung to the other side of the market where he slammed hard into one of the few stalls that was still standing.

Diego and Victoria rushed over to where he lay clutching his chest. "Father! Father! Are you all right?" Diego shouted above the noise.

"Yes," he gasped. "I'm all right. One of the Perales brothers' bulls got loose and went wild."

"Victoria, get my father to a safe place."

"What are you going to do?"

Diego looked around for what seemed like an agonizingly long time, trying to figure out an answer to that question. At length, his eyes fell on the broom Victoria had been holding this whole time, the one he hadn't noticed until just then. It was madness. It was lunacy. It was ridiculous. It was also the best idea he had. "My love," he said as he took hold of it, "I promise that I'll try to bring this back in one piece."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Get my father out of here!" he shouted back over his shoulder as he ran off into the fray.

At this point, the bull had managed to shake off the ropes, and most of the vaqueros had scattered. Yet, the bull had not yet freed itself of Señor Calvillo who held on with an almost supernatural tenacity.

"Señor Calvillo!" Diego yelled.

"Diego!" Calvillo shouted in reply. "It's all right! I've got him right where I want him! He's going to give up any secooonnnd..." The bull had seemed like it was about to go down but suddenly and powerfully reared its head back, finally sending Señor Calvillo flying over its back.

He hit the ground hard on his back where he lay unmoving. Diego feared the worst but was in no position to check on his friend as the bull now turned his full attention to him. The bull ran at him as Diego instinctively side stepped. It was a narrow miss, and one of its horns tore through his sleeve and scraped his arm. Thankfully, the wound was superficial because Diego had no time to dwell on it, already the animal had turned back to come at him again.

Much to Diego's relief, instead of charging, the bull trotted from side to side, moving in a figure eight, maintaining a distance but also keeping his eyes fixed solidly on him. Diego kept the broom out in front of him as he warily moved back. He hoped the bull would begin to calm down and that he could distract it long enough for the people who were still in the market to get away.

At first, it seemed like the beast was going to settle down but it suddenly squared itself on Diego, snorted several times in a row, lowered its head and pawed the ground. It was going to charge and Diego now found himself backed into a corner.

After a few tense seconds, the bull ran full speed ahead. Diego brought the broom stick down parallel with the animal's horns, hoping he could brace himself somewhat against the inevitable impact. As the bull closed the distance it brought its head low and swept up in a move to gore Diego but its horn hooked onto the broom stick and as it tossed its head back, Diego, not relenting in his grip, went flying high into the air over the beast's back.

He flipped over a few times and came crashing down hard on one leg. Diego felt the snap halfway between his knee and ankle. There was no question in his mind that his leg was broken. However, at that moment, it was the least of his worries. This meant he wasn't going anywhere in a hurry and the bull was free to do with him as he pleased.

Diego rolled over on his side and looked in the direction of the bull. It was getting ready to come at him again but suddenly a rope looped around its horns. It was quickly followed by another and another and another until Diego lost count and the bull was brought down on its side and within seconds vaqueros were swarming over it like ants, securing its legs and rendering it helpless.

"Diego! Diego!" Victoria cried as she, along with Alejandro, rushed to where he lay. "My love, are you all right?"

"I've seen much better days," he groaned. "I... think... my leg is broken."

"You'll be all right, Son," Alejandro assured him. "Let's get you out of here. Victoria, stay here. I'll get some men to help move him."

Victoria eased Diego's head into her lap. "Diego, what were you thinking going against that animal like that? He could have killed you."

"I know. I know. But... did anyone else get hurt? Is Señor Calvillo..."

"He's fine, just a bump on his head. But... you... your leg..."

"Yes," Diego winced in pain. "Things didn't turn out quite like I had hoped. Still... it's not so bad," he said as began to chuckle.

"And what is so funny?"

Diego held up the makeshift weapon which he still hadn't let go. "I managed to not break your good broom."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria flinched with every sway and bump of the wagon on the way home, though Diego, being unconscious, couldn't feel the pain. Still, she worried that it was a mistake, even with his leg strapped as solidly as it was. However, Don Alejandro insisted, and she had reluctantly agreed, knowing that once he was settled at home, he could be properly taken care of, and it was better to move him when he was unaware of his surroundings. She knew that Don Alejandro had sent Felipe ahead to get Diego's invalid bed (the one he had been working on since Sergio had returned to the orphanage) set up in their room, and under Felipe's supervision it should be fully assembled and ready by the time the slow moving wagon managed the two miles from the tavern.

She had seen the bed in its initial finished state only a week ago. It was light weight though supposed to be sturdy enough to take the full weight of a man thrashing about, designed to be easily packed away when not required, though she wasn't sure how compact it would be considering the stuffing in the mattress. She had been intrigued by the ability to raise the head of the bed via a ratcheting system, though it had gotten a bit stuck during the demonstration. She hoped it wouldn't be uncomfortable for Diego, but he was going to need something that could be used to help keep his leg immobile, and the bed should be able to help there.

She repressed another flinch as she saw Diego's head shift slightly. Was he starting to wake up? They needed to get home. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the hacienda at last. However, getting him to his bed was a trial. The men holding the stretcher almost tripped through the door, and Diego was starting to wake which added to their difficulties. She breathed a sigh of relief once he was in the bed, his leg strapped to keep it immobile. The challenge of getting him changed into a night shirt was not nearly as taxing, even with his twisting at the wrong moments. His trousers which had already been torn up past the break in his leg were simply cut off for easy removal. Victoria put them aside for possible repair later. Right now Diego was more important.

He came to by the time they finished getting him dressed, looking groggy and confused.

"What..." his voice trailed off as he started to focus in on Victoria.

"You're home," Victoria said. "Your leg has been set."

He nodded at that but looked a little green. "The... bed," he muttered.

"Yes," Victoria said. "It's fortunate you finished it. The head is stuck a bit, but Dr. Hernandez thought it was better for your head to be elevated so that's lucky. Are you thirsty?"

"No," he muttered.

"Are you in pain?" Victoria asked.

"Not... yet," Diego said, his voice getting stronger. "Just groggy and a little nauseated and confused. Was it difficult?"

"Not according to Dr. Hernandez," Victoria said, though she had had difficulty watching Diego's leg being set. "And it was easier to get you home this way. You should rest now."

"I'll have plenty of time to rest," he said with a sigh. "A broken leg."

"It could have been worse," Victoria said. "You were fending off a bull with broomstick."

"It was what was at hand," Diego said wryly.

"And it was very brave of you," Victoria said.

"And more than a little foolish."

"Well, you're the talk of the pueblo at the moment. You'll need to be prepared for visitors in the upcoming days. So many people impressed with my brave husband."

He frowned. "I hope not too impressed," he said. "After all, I only distracted the beast. Others were responsible for restraining it. They deserve all the credit."

"Oh, they're more than willing to share it," Victoria said, "and all the drinks they've bought since it happened. But you are still the man of the hour."

"Hopefully, it's only for an hour," Diego said, his eyes closing.

Victoria could see him fighting sleep, but he needed rest, so she sat quietly holding one of his hands until he was unconscious again. She sighed as she saw his twitches of discomfort and wished she could have given him his pain medicine before he'd gone under again.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego put down the book he had been reading. Or rather that he had been trying to read. He'd spent the past fifteen minutes trying to make it through one page. His mind kept wandering and he found himself starting over again and again and again. Finally, he gave up trying to focus.

It had been almost two weeks since the fight with the bull, but for Diego, it felt more like two years. It wasn't as if he hadn't been injured before. There had been several times he'd had to tread carefully while he healed, but now he wasn't treading at all, and he was completely unprepared for how much being immobilized for so long was going to wear on him.

Diego picked up one of the other books next to his bed and thumbed through it for a few minutes. He was trying again to read but his eyes kept drifting from the page to the window where, off in the distance, he could see Miguel, the head stableman, exercising Esperanza. Seeing the man on his own horse was an aggravating reminder of his current predicament. Diego tried turning his attention back to the page, but it was useless.

"Can't walk... can't ride... can't even read," he snarled through clenched teeth and threw the book across the room. "I have had _enough_ of this." Diego pulled himself toward the head of the bed and worked himself into a seated position. He eased his uninjured leg off the side of the bed followed very carefully by his broken one.

For several moments, he enjoyed the feeling of the floor under his feet. He gingerly placed a little weight on his injured leg. It was a dull pain versus the agonizing one against which he had braced himself. He was grateful but knew he was going to need some help moving around. As he looked about the room for something he could use as a cane or other support, the door opened, and in walked Victoria with Felipe right behind her.

"Diego!" she exclaimed as her eyes went wide. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he grumbled. "I can't take being in this bed anymore. I'm finally getting up and moving around."

Victoria hastened to his side. "Well, I'm very sorry to hear that you feel that way about the bed because you are _not_ going to do any moving around. Your leg is a long way from being well enough for that."

"I can move around just fine. All I need is a cane or a crutch or a..."

"Or to get right back into that bed because I don't have a cane or a crutch to give you."

"Then you can bring me your broom. It already came through for me once when it mattered."

"If you're trying to be funny, it's not working. Now, Felipe and I'll help you get back into bed because there is no way you are leaving this bed, much less this room." She moved over to the bed with Felipe, intent on getting Diego resettled.

"You're my wife not my jailer," Diego snapped.

Victoria threw up her hands. "Fine. You don't want company." She motioned to the pile of books and sketch books on the table next to the bed. "You have enough to keep you occupied once you stop feeling sorry for yourself." She turned to Felipe. "I think we need some target practice out in the fresh air. God forbid anyone else take care of things on their own."

"Victoria..." Diego called out as his wife stalked out of the room. He sighed. "Felipe?"

His friend looked from him back to the door and started to the door signing something about not provoking a bear, and Diego wasn't sure which of the two he was referring to. He dropped his head back in frustration and annoyance with his own poor behavior, before slowly working his way back into the bed, hating every moment of it.

He stared at the things around him. His head was still hurting, and he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate on reading or any scientific matters. There were the handweights next to the bed. Exercise wouldn't help his headache, but perhaps it could work out his frustrations. He pulled them both up and began doing some arm curls, trying to ignore the pain from his head and his leg from the slight vibrations from the bed. Nothing could stop him from feeling trapped. And what _if_ Zorro were needed. At the moment there was nothing he could do that would not give Zorro away. De Soto may be behaving more like a leader now, but that didn't mean he would be prepared for any challenges to come especially if they played into any of his many, many blind spots. He needed to get out of this bed.

Somehow he wasn't too surprised to see his father show up. He had rather expected him to storm in after Victoria and Felipe stormed out. Not that his father had much room to complain. His temper was just as bad if not worse when he was the patient or even, Diego thought wryly, when he wasn't.

However, he was surprised when his father settled down in the chair nearest the bed, smiling and apparently oblivious to Diego's dour expression. "I tell you, Diego, Felipe has the best aim with a musket and pistol that I've ever seen. I'd wager he could kill a rattlesnake in mid strike, and Victoria's knife throwing aim has become deadly accurate, while her pistol shots are getting close to Felipe's in accuracy. And they are both getting quite good with bows and arrows. You should be proud."

"I am. I just wish I could have seen it," Diego muttered.

Don Alejandro shook his head. "Not today, my son, as I suspect that Victoria was working out her temper on something inanimate so that she would not take it out on you."

And there it was. Diego sighed. "I know. I'm just so tired of being in this bed."

"I know, Son," Don Alejandro said. "There have been times when it feels like I've done nothing but be stuck in bed. You've had enough injuries, 'illnesses,' and the like to know how this goes."

"True, but the others were not the same as this one. None of them trapped me like this."

"And yet you were better prepared for dealing with such an injury than ever before. Properly prepared."

"Not for the tedium," Diego said. "I want out of this room."

"You'll get your chance, son," Alejandro said.

Diego leaned his head back and sighed. After a long moment of silence, Alejandro spoke.

"You know your mother was always a thinker," he said rather reflectively, "and one with definite opinions. You know de la Vega tempers tend to be explosive. Hers was a quieter one. One that could cut with precision when she had been offended. You're probably fortunate that Victoria's is more of the explosive type."

Diego considered the times he'd been on the receiving end of her temper. It probably was for the best that it burned out quickly and that she rarely held grudges. He did love her passionate disposition, but that was another part of his problem right now, wasn't it? He wanted his wife, and she was again too concerned about his health to be willing to...

How many times had they had to abstain because of injuries? It was almost enough to make him want to swear off adventures.

~Z~Z~Z~

Having spent enough time taking out her annoyance on inanimate objects, Victoria finally felt enough in control to return to Diego. He had obviously just finished his lunch, so she moved towards him.

Before she could say anything, he said, "I'm sorry for losing my temper. Please forgive me."

Victoria sighed. "Yes, of course. I know you're frustrated. Do you think you're the only one who feels that way?" She picked up the tray and moved it outside their room before returning.

"You at least can actually leave the room," Diego grumbled though loud enough for her to her, then grimaced. "Sorry. I don't mean to keep being unbearable."

"I know," Victoria said. "I'd probably be as bad a patient at this point myself. No... probably worse."

"I have my doubts about that," Diego said. "I remember you being quite a good patient once upon a time."

"Only in the beginning," she said. "You seemed to have blocked out the ending. I was also a bit impatient to move. Anyway," she picked up a book from the table near the wall, "I thought that since you've been in such a beastly mood lately," Victoria said, ignoring Diego's slight huff, "I thought we could read about one. In one of the books your cousin Sebastian sent, there's a story called 'Beauty and the Beast.' What do you think?"

"All right. And as the _beastly_ one, do you want me to read or will the beauty do the reading?"

"We could read it together," she said, pulling a chair close to the bed.

Diego looked at her with a calculating eye. "You could sit next to me. There's room enough here for two."

Victoria hesitated. "Are you sure it will hold?"

"I did design it to support more than twice my body weight, and you hardly weigh more than a feather," he said, then in a more pleading voice added. "Please, I've missed having you next to me."

"All right," Victoria said, settling in cautiously on the side opposite to his broken leg, as Diego found the beginning of the story. She leaned in and kissed his temple. "Now, let us see why exactly it's called 'Beauty and the Beast.'"

They made it through the story, though not without commentary on the events. That was half the fun of reading together after all.

Once it was finished, Victoria said, "It just seems unfair that she had dreams about the Prince without knowing who he was. It did nothing more than confuse her about her feelings about the Beast, no matter how obvious it's supposed to be when she's being told not to judge by appearances." She was hit with an uncomfortable feeling as she spoke. She didn't like to think about the days when her infatuation with Zorro led her to overlook her feelings for Diego.

Diego leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling. "I think," he said slowly, "that it was supposed to be unfair. After all, the curse was hardly fair; what exactly had the prince done to be cursed in such a way?"

"Exactly, we weren't told, and the prince seems decent enough even if his self-pity seems almost self-serving, though understandable considering the circumstances," she said. Victoria had managed to both pity and be annoyed with the prince at the same time.

"They were very trying circumstance," Diego said. "And what could be crueler than to let the poor Beast be himself in her dreams yet make it even more difficult for her to see him as he was, no matter what he said? The Fair Folk are not exactly known for their generosity, and this seems to be an apparent kindness that turns out to be a double edged sword."

"So it was a strange cruelty to both, and yet despite it all, the curse was broken because she loved both men, somehow finding the truth without even knowing it," Victoria said softly. Also not entirely unlike what had happened with them.

Diego reached up and caressed her cheek, turning her face toward him, pulling her in for a soft kiss that soon turned more passionate. Victoria lost herself in it until Diego's hands started wandering over her and reluctantly pulled away.

"We can't," she murmured.

"We could," Diego replied while nuzzling her ear, "if we're careful. I miss you, my love."

Victoria sighed. "I miss you as well, but your leg..."

"I have an idea of how to manage, if you'll trust me," he said.

Victoria still hesitated just a moment, pondering just how bad of an idea this was. She loved him and missed being with him, but not so much as she was willing to risk his health. And yet... his soft words in her ear as he explained it persuaded her that it might be possible. She got up and locked their door.

~Z~Z~Z~

Some time later, Victoria lay curled up next to Diego. It had been awkward and not particularly romantic, but with a few laughs along the way, they had managed without further aggravating his leg. "So," she said as she ran her fingers across his chest, "feeling less frustrated?"

"Much," he replied in a dreamy tone.

Victoria sighed deeply. "Me too."

"Though, I do still feel more than a little ashamed over being so temperamental earlier."

"It's alright, Diego." She raised her head to look him in the eye. "I know that this is difficult and I should have been more understanding of the strain this is putting on you."

"Well, that's nice of you to say but I shouldn't have been so impatient, especially because I have a lot more recovery time stretching out in front of me. And I'm not the only one being strained. And this," Diego motioned toward his leg, "is making a lot more work for you."

"I don't think it's work. I love you and when you love someone, you take care of them."

"And I love you." Diego gently kissed her forehead. "Thank you for being so good to me."

Victoria kissed him once more before sitting up. "I suppose I should get back to what I was doing earlier and your father might be wondering where I got off to."

"Must you go?" Diego asked with a bit of feigned distress.

"Yes, I must. However, if it makes you feel better, I promise we'll figure out a way to help you move around."

"We will?"

"That is, once your leg is stronger and it's safer."

Diego smiled thoughtfully and nodded. "You're right, of course. I'll do my best to not be so grumpy in the meantime."

"Take heart my love." She bent over and kissed him passionately before returning his smile with a devilish one. "After all, it's only your leg that's a problem right now."

~to be concluded~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The invalid bed is something that was a late addition and probably more than a bit anachronistic (as this is more of a late 19th-early 20th century invention, though apparently there were some 16th century designs for an adjustable bed that was never actually made), but I also think that it's something that Diego would tinker with. After all, he's not the only one who gets injured in the series. Don Alejandro's had more than a few as well, and Diego would consider it worthwhile especially since he also seems to be the substitute medical practitioner on all those occasions when Dr. Hernandez is unavailable. I suppose I could have attached this note to the previous story, but that reference was added there at the last minute in order to set things up for this story, so I thought it best to leave the explanation here.
> 
> Also the _Beauty and the Beast_ discussion section of this story took up way too much of my time trying to figure out which version I could use, and what would be available at the time. And that was a major kettle of fish trying to decipher as there were multiple versions. The original was by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740, and the version most known is an abridged and retold adaptation by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756. And to be honest, I can definitely understand why someone would want to change and simplify the original version as it is incredibly convoluted with extended backstories at the end, and it turns out that Beauty is not the daughter of a merchant but the Prince's own cousin which is what makes the marriage acceptable to the Prince's mother and not the fact that Beauty in point of fact broke the curse and her son was completely in love with her and was begging his mother to let him marry her. And I was planning on letting having Victoria go onto a rant on the whole classist/noble issues that brought up. Because she definitely would have a strong opinion on that. 
> 
> But then I thought that would detract from the main part of what I thought was apropos to the situation which was Beauty dreaming of the Prince and the parallels I could draw between Beauty not being able to see the Beast for what he was because of her dream lover and Victoria not seeing Diego for what he was because of Zorro. However the dream prince is absent from the Beaumont version, probably because of the distraction factor. And then well past the time of Zorro we have the Andrew Lang version (1889) which is a simplified version of Villeneuve's that keeps the dream prince and drops the Queen's initial rejection of Beauty. And finally I decided to stop overanalyzing things and just pretend the version they got is an edited version of the original not dissimilar to Lang's so that the classism is dropped but the dream prince is retained. And so now you know one of the reasons it takes me so long to finish these stories as often I end up going down rabbit holes of research all for scenes that aren't entirely plot relevant but which I want to have anyway. And I do love Disney's _Beauty and the Beast_ (the animated version; the live action had its moments but the original is the one I love best— the library is ridiculously awesome, and the Beast is so expressive).


	45. On the Horns of a Dilemma (My Word is My Bond) Part 2

Victoria checked the last of the party preparations with Maria. With Diego now walking with the aid of a cane, it did seem that they had reason enough to celebrate. That and the fact that things had remained quiet and under control in the pueblo during that time. De Soto had returned from his trip, but he had declined the invitation to the party, which was a relief to Victoria. She could not abide the man even when he wasn't doing bad things and had no desire to socialize with him more than necessary. Diego and his father had been practicing a piano duet together, and Victoria had worked with Maria to come up with some special treats for their guests to enjoy.

Everything about the evening seemed set, but even as it progressed with no issues, Victoria had a restlessness that she didn't know what to do with. Something seemed in the air, yet she didn't know what it was, and she tried putting it down to the relative peace they had been experiencing. She sat near Mendoza while the music portion of the evening went on and had to keep herself from smiling at his confusion about the piano duet. Mendoza was a good man, but he clearly preferred drinking songs to more sophisticated music as he made clear when Diego spoke with them after the song had finished.

"So, Sergeant, what did you think?" Diego asked as he leaned against his cane.

Mendoza was clearly trying to be diplomatic yet honest. "A little dull for me, Don Diego. I prefer music you can sing along with or perhaps even whistle." He laughed a little.

"I'll keep that in mind," Diego said. "Maybe later we'll have a livelier tune just for you."

Mendoza smiled. "Thank you, Don Diego. How is your leg?"

Diego looked down. "Improving daily. Thank you. I'm glad to finally be walking around again."

"I bet, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "I still can't believe you were brave enough to fight off a bull with a broom stick."

"Rather distracting it while other men actually did the hard work," Diego said, then tapped the cane on the ground. "And considering the results, I think it was more like stupidity than bravery."

"Nonsense," Victoria said. "You did a very brave thing. Not everything has to be swords and dramatic gestures. It's just unfortunate that your leg suffered for it."

Mendoza looked like he was about to say something when every one was suddenly distracted by a sudden disturbance outside. Horses. Quite a few.

Don Alejandro was the first out the door with Victoria and Mendoza not too far behind. Just in time to see the de la Vegas' stable master stumbling into the courtyard.

"Miguel? What happened?" Don Alejandro asked as Miguel collapsed against him and Sergeant Mendoza.

"Bandits, Patrón," Miguel stammered out. "They took four of your best horses. I tried to stop them."

Don Alejandro looked grim as he said, "Get him inside, Sergeant," while helping Mendoza with the task. The rest of the crowd followed them in leaving Victoria and Diego outside.

"Of all things," Diego murmured so quietly Victoria could barely hear him. "Just when Zorro is needed the most."

He turned and seemed almost surprised to see her which concerned her slightly, though there was nothing too blatant in his statement. She decided against saying anything as his frustration was already saying it all to him, and he didn't need to be reminded of the fact that Zorro still would not be ready to ride for some time. She simply smiled up at him and took his arm as they returned inside.

~Z~Z~Z~

Don Alejandro was quick to go to the pueblo the next morning. Best to have the lancers actually do something if De Soto was in a more law enforcing mood. Victoria followed Diego to the stables where he tried to piece together a bit more information about what happened. Unfortunately he couldn't find out much. Miguel was the only one who had actually seen anyone, but he could hardly remember anything that happened, only that there had been more than one man. Not exactly a surprise as it was highly unlikely that one man would be stealing multiple horses from a guarded area. Not that it couldn't be done, just too few thieves would be that bold without help to back them up.

"It's a pity the ground is so dry," Diego said to Victoria as he limped back toward the house leaning on his cane. "Too much disturbance near here, and we would need to know which way they'd headed in order to be able to find traces. And it's not as if I could follow easily even if we could."

"I'm sure your father will do all he can," Victoria said. "We can be grateful that Miguel's injuries are minor. He should be up and around soon."

"True," Diego said, digging at the dirt near the front door with his cane. "Certainly faster than I have."

"But you have been healing remarkably quickly," she said. "Faster than Dr. Hernandez expected."

"Not that it feels that way," he said as he opened the door for her to go in. Even injured, he would be the gentleman he was raised to be, with perhaps the added benefit that he enjoyed the opportunity to admire his wife's figure from behind.

~Z~Z~Z~

When Don Alejandro returned in the afternoon, both Victoria and Diego were astonished by the tale he had to tell.

"José Macias?" Victoria asked. "I don't believe it, and I can't believe that anyone else does despite the horses being found there."

"Well, you know our alcalde," Don Alejandro said. "Always accepting the simplest answer without thought or investigation, especially in anything related to his responsibilities. He has the cuartel's horses back and that's all that matters to him. Thank God he was willing to let there be a trial."

"What about bail?" Diego asked. "How is José's family supposed to manage without him?"

"Bail?" Don Alejandro spat. "Oh, he set bail... at 2,000 pesos."

"That's outrageous," Victoria said.

"But typical," Don Alejandro said.

"We can afford to pay it even if José can't," Diego said.

"Of course," Victoria said. "We should get it together immediately. No reason for José to stay in jail any longer than he has to."

"And you need to find out the details about the trial: when it will be, how much time he has to prepare," Diego said. "I imagine that De Soto is not going to be generous with the time."

"José will be hard pressed to get a lawyer in time," Don Alejandro said. "Would you be willing to help with his defense, Diego?"

"Of course, Father," Diego said. "Whatever I can."

"Good, very good," Don Alejandro said. "I will return to the pueblo and get started to the matter of bail. I'll also see what I can find out about the trial. Of course, knowing our Alcalde, _trial_ may not be entirely the appropriate word to use. Victoria, you stay and help Diego."

"Certainly." She turned to look at Diego. "Whatever I can," she said with a reassuring smile, echoing his words. 

"I'll return soon," Don Alejandro called back over his shoulder as his hastened out the door.

"So, where do we begin?" Victoria asked the moment they were alone.

"Well," Diego grunted as he carefully rose to his feet, "I'm going to need to see what I have in my library. My collection of law books is limited and I am by no means a lawyer but I've long had an interest in the subject."

"If anyone can help José, you can."

"I'm afraid that even if Zorro were capable of riding, there is very little he could do in this case." He made his way to a bookshelf and began perusing the volumes spread out before him. "I've long said that brains can always win out over raw force." Diego starting pulling some books from the shelf and handing them to Victoria. "Now it would seem I'm forced to find out if I'm right."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego sat on the sofa in the salon with his foot propped up, surrounded by law books, annoyed with himself. Victoria and Alejandro had gone back to the pueblo with the bail money, and a determination to see that José was home that evening. He had decided that it was best to start brushing up on the law again, in case it came down to it. However, nothing could keep him from thinking that it would be so much easier if he could track down the horse thieves. Since they had hidden the horses at José's place, chances were that they were still nearby and not done with their thievery. But why hide stolen horses at José's at all? What was going on?

If only he could ride out and investigate for himself. There were bound to be traces that he could find. Something to prove what happened and track down the real thieves. But no, he had to have a broken leg just now. At least it had healed enough that he could walk a bit and ride in a carriage, but that was hardly the best way to investigate.

He was still sitting there when his father and his wife finally returned and told him what happened.

"I can't believe he took so much time to count out the bail money," Victoria said. "It was ridiculous much like our alcalde's investigative skills."

"Oh, Diego," Don Alejandro said, "I told José that you would go to his place tomorrow to help him with his defense. He will be very grateful for the help."

"For what it's worth," Diego said. "We really could use an actual lawyer in this pueblo."

"But I doubt we'd find one willing to stay in a small pueblo unless he really wanted to spend most of his time on the outs with what passes for government here," Don Alejandro said.

"Felipe might," Diego said. "Though that is still up in the air and years of study away if he decides for it."

"And doesn't solve our current problem," Victoria said. "But I have faith in you, Diego."

"And hopefully it will not come to a trial," Don Alejandro said. "If we find evidence of the real thieves beforehand."

Diego ran his fingers through his hair. "I suppose." _Still, considering how much of a difference actual evidence makes in the so called justice system in this pueblo, I'm afraid I'm going to have to hope more than believe._

~Z~Z~Z~

It was early the next day when Diego left for José's rancho. Victoria decided to go to the tavern and see what information she could glean from the local gossips. Though she said that she did not particularly hold out much hope of finding out anything particularly useful, she could at least see if De Soto decided to act preemptively or anything out of the usual happened.

Diego was relieved in a way as while he enjoyed being in his wife's company, he would rather not have her hovering over him trying to be sure he didn't injure himself simply walking around. At times, though rarely, he almost missed the days when she was dismissive of his faked ailments, or sometimes the faked ones covering up genuine injuries. Though there was a part of him that had to acknowledge that they had been fortunate that _she_ hadn't been taken seriously ill since they'd married or he would likely be twice as bad in wanting her to take care. He still had nightmares about the time she had been shot.

Nearing his destination, Diego was starting to get concerned, as he saw no one outside. At this time of day there should be some signs of activity. Pulling to a stop in front of the house, he climbed down and called out for José and Julieta. Silence. As he limped over to the front door, he could now hear the sounds of horses approaching. He turned to see Sgt Mendoza approaching the house.

"Don Diego!" Mendoza called out once he was near.

"Is something wrong, Sergeant?" Diego asked. _Please, let nothing have happened to Victoria._

Mendoza dismounted and came forward looking a bit nervous. "Umm, I hope not. The alcalde just sent me out to check on things, because... well." He shrugged, then looked around. Where is José?"

"I don't know," Diego said. "I've just arrived, and it seems as if there's no one here."

"Oh, no," Mendoza said. "The alcalde is not going to like this. Are you sure?" He crossed quickly to the house calling for José and Julieta. He stuck his head inside the door. "Anyone there?" he called, then hesitatingly stepped inside for a moment.

Diego made his way to the door but not before Mendoza popped back out. "There's no one there. And it looks like they left in hurry. This is not good. The alcalde isn't going to like this. Why would José run?"

"Maybe he didn't trust me to defend him," Diego said with a self-deprecating smile. "Or maybe he hasn't run at all, and we're just missing something obvious."

"You're right, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "But you know the alcalde isn't going to like this."

Diego sighed. "Yes, I know, and if you don't tell him, he'll blame you somehow. I'm sure there's an innocent explanation."

"Of course, there must be," Mendoza said doubtfully, looking around. "I just wish I knew what."

"So do I," Diego said. "In any event, I suggest you return to the cuartel. I'll look around a bit and see if I can't find out the better explanation."

"All right," Mendoza said. "Hopefully they'll be back soon. I don't want to have to be chasing him around the countryside." He got on his horse and left.

Diego waited only a moment before ducking into the house. There were signs of disturbance, but it took him longer than he liked to determine that it wasn't the sign of anyone hastily packing to leave, and he wished he'd investigated before Mendoza left, so that the sergeant would have had that information to report to De Soto. He seemed to have become slow in mind as well as body.

Frustrated, he turned his attention outside, hoping to find something other than the traces that the lancers had left there the day before. He cursed his leg as he moved rather slowly outward checking the area.

Wait. There. He awkwardly bent to look closer at some scuff marks on the ground. It looked like someone had been dragged a bit. Julieta most probably, the marks seemed too small to be José but too large for the children, who could easily be carried away. He followed the trail to where he saw a confusion of horses' hooves. It was tentative, very tentative, but it was something to work on. It was not unbelievable that the horse thieves who had for whatever reason had hidden the stolen horses at José's place might have come back for them and finding them gone threatened José's family about them. Not wise but believable.

The difficulty now was that he could not easily track on his own, not when he couldn't ride. He tried to think. Perhaps with Felipe, but no, they'd be too vulnerable. Could he trust his father with this? He was a good tracker, though Diego wasn't sure if he could keep from rushing into danger. Diego sighed. The difficulty was that he truly didn't trust anyone other than himself to such a task, and yet he couldn't manage on his own yet. Perhaps it would be best if he told his father what he had discovered and give him a chance to help decide what could be done, no matter how much he hated the idea.

Still, leaving things to the lancers wasn't go to help anyone and he knew exactly how this was going to go with the alcalde. Multiple scenarios ran through his mind and all of them against the backdrop of a ticking clock. There were no good options at this point and he was painfully aware that the only thing left before him was to pick the best bad one.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was feeling quite annoyed for reasons she could not entirely pin down. Everything in the pueblo at the moment was quiet. Señor Calvillo and her girls had everything well in hand, though some of her regular customers seemed very happy to have her cooking. Oddly enough Mendoza was not there. Sepulveda said that he'd been sent to check on José for reasons only the alcalde know. So that meant her best source of gossip was away. And De Soto was too busy silently brooding at a table to do more than order his breakfast.

Now she wished she'd gone with Diego. It probably would have been more interesting, and she could have talked with Julieta, and perhaps they could have discovered something useful together. But then Diego had really wanted to do this on his own, and she was trying to let go of her overprotectiveness. He was healing well, and he didn't need his wife to turn into a permanent nursemaid, any more than she wanted to be one. It was just very hard not to want to keep him safe at home. It was ridiculous really. And yet... Victoria sighed, going outside for a moment to look across the plaza. It was bustling, but nothing out of the ordinary. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see De Soto where he was sitting, staring at his meal and ignoring the people around him.

But then there was a sudden tumult as Sepulveda came running across the plaza shouting for the alcalde. "The horses are missing again!"

"What?" De Soto exclaimed.

"Are you sure, Corporal?" Victoria asked almost at the same time. Again? So soon? She couldn't believe it.

"Sí, I was just at the stables," Sepulveda said. "They're gone."

De Soto sat silent for a moment before turning and looking across the plaza. Victoria followed his gaze and spotted her father in law and Sgt. Mendoza riding up together.

The moment Don Alejandro was within ear shot, De Soto called out. "Let me guess, Don Alejandro. Your horses have been stolen again?"

"Exactly," Don Alejandro said with some effort. "And there's more." He turned to look at Mendoza. "Sergeant?"

Mendoza coughed. "Um, when I went out to the Macias ranch this morning, uh, Don Diego and I looked, but José and his family, they, uh, were all gone."

"Of course," De Soto said with marked disgust as he stood up from the table. "Sergeant, our horses have gone missing again as well. Now form a search party immediately."

"Sí, mi alcalde," Mendoza said, turning his horse over toward the stables.

De Soto shook his head as he moved away from the table. "You people are really fools."

No. Victoria wouldn't believe it. "There must be some explanation," she said to Don Alejandro.

He nodded before saying, "I think I'd better go with the alcalde, Victoria. He might just shoot José on sight." He urged Dulcinea in the direction of the cuartel's stables.

That was one thing, Victoria acknowledged, but it would be better still if someone other than the lancers found him first. Diego wouldn't be able to do much confined as he was to driving carriages, and she didn't want to worry him, but she needed to do something. Maybe with Felipe's help, they could convince Diego that they could handle this on their own. Maybe. Probably not easily, but Victoria was not about to sit around doing nothing.

A short time later, she was riding back to the hacienda, determination burning in her veins.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego was starting to feel as if events were conspiring against him, as he returned to the hacienda to discover that their horses had gone missing again, and his father had gone to the pueblo. Again.

Cursing his timing, Diego left for the pueblo, hoping to catch up with his father and perhaps keep De Soto from riding out assuming that José was guilty. Again. He arrived in a too quiet pueblo and knew that he'd missed the alcalde at the very least.

With a sigh, he limped into the tavern, expecting to see Victoria yet not really surprised not to. It seemed his destiny today to arrive after everyone had left.

"Señor Calvillo," he said, "I don't suppose my wife is here now."

"I'm afraid not, Don Diego," the big man said. "She left to go back to your hacienda after the lancers left."

Of course, he'd missed her en route. Naturally.

Señor Calvillo was busy wiping down the bar as he added, "She was in high dudgeon about the alcalde blaming José for the garrison's lost horses."

Diego's eyebrows went up. "Do you mean still from yesterday? Or is it again as with my father's horses?"

"Again," Señor Calvillo said. "It's hard to believe that the thieves would strike twice like that. They must be bold or loco."

"And that certainly does not sound like José," Diego muttered, as he turned and headed back outside, hoping against hope he would make it home before Victoria went off and did something foolish.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was somehow not exactly surprised that she had missed Diego on the way home, as she hadn't gone by the road. She wasn't sure why except that she didn't want to cross paths with the alcalde and his lancers before she had a chance to start looking, and since she planned to get Felipe's help she needed to get home quietly.

She found Felipe down in the cave finishing brushing out Toronado. "I need your help," she said without preamble

He looked surprised as she began explaining about the missing horses and the missing Macias family.

"We need to find them before the alcalde," she said.

"But what about Diego?" Felipe signed.

"No need to bother him," she said. "He's already done enough, and between the two of us I think we can handle this."

He looked skeptical.

"We're going armed, and we both know José. Why ever and wherever they've gone, it can't be that hard to find them and bring them home. Now we need to get out there and find them before the alcalde does."

Felipe mimed writing a note.

"Yes, go ahead, but we're in a hurry," she said, before going off to get pistols and ammunition, as well as making sure her knife was well secured in her dress pocket.

He returned carrying his own weapons and followed her to the stable where both their horses were waiting for them. Soon they were riding off in search of José and his family.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego returned to the hacienda and managed not to groan when he discovered that he'd manage to miss Victoria and Felipe again. Instead he pasted on a false smile and made a comment about feeling trapped in a comedy about missed meetings before limping inside. It didn't take him long to find Felipe's note which he almost immediately crushed in frustration and worry.

Yes, it was all well and good to try to find José and his family before the alcalde did, but what everyone seemed to have forgotten (or in the case of the alcalde, refused to believe) is that if José was innocent then the actual thieves were still out there and posed a danger. He was sure that they had had something to do with the disappearance of José's family, either to force José to take the horses the men had stolen before or to keep him quiet while they acted. So Victoria (and he knew this was mostly her idea) and Felipe were riding out armed but not necessarily prepared for what they might find.

He knew they both had been developing skills, but while he had relied on Felipe's support in the past, he could remember the times when he'd needed to rescue him along with the greater number of times he'd needed to rescue Victoria and knew he couldn't just sit around hoping they didn't get into trouble on their quest.

For his family, Zorro, with or without a broken leg, would ride.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria and Felipe had not been riding too long before they spotted a man leading a string of horses down into a canyon. Ducking behind some rocks, they moved where they could see better.

"José Macias... a horse thief," Victoria said in astonishment as she finally saw exactly who it was. "Well I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

Felipe shook his head in disbelief as well. "It doesn't make sense," he signed.

"I know, but we're going to have to bring him in anyway."

Felipe gestured towards José and indicated that they needed to see where he was going first.

"Yes, of course. And maybe things will make more sense when we do," Victoria said. "After all, where is his family?"

Nodding, Felipe took the lead as they followed José from a safe distance

~Z~Z~Z~

Zorro leaned over and checked the tracks. He fought the twinges in his leg as he managed to find and follow the trail of his father's stolen horses. The unusual horse shoes on one of them made it the easiest way to track the thief or thieves. However, in this case, it seemed there was only one man with the horses. Strange. It looked more as if it was José rather than the group of thieves.

~Z~Z~Z~

José seemed to finally reach his destination so Victoria and Felipe tied their horses out of sight before approaching the area where he had gone.

Looking down from the rocks, they could see several men below. Felipe signed he was going to move around to try to get a better idea of how many there were, and Victoria indicated that she was going to stay to try to see what José was doing before one or both of them would leave to get additional help.

As Felipe disappeared off to her right, Victoria started moving over the rocks to get closer to where José was now talking to the man who seemed to be the leader of the group.

"I got the horses you wanted," José was saying. "I lived up to my part of the deal. Now it's your turn."

_Why, José?_ Victoria thought, and yet something niggled, wasn't right about this.

The other man, head half covered with his broad brimmed hat, scoffed. "Our agreement was for all of the garrison horses."

"I got all I could," José said. "The other end of the stables was too heavily guarded. It was unsafe."

"How do you ever expect to become a famous horse thief if you don't take a few chances, amigo?" the other man said with a laugh.

As Victoria had been paying attention to José's conversation, she had missed the movements of a man up the rocks until he was almost on her. Reacting quickly at the sight of his pistol, she fired, knocking the pistol from his hand. She privately cursed at exposing herself and pulled her second pistol from her belt and pointed it at the man in front of her.

"After you, Señor," she said, nodding her head towards where José and the other man stood.

He turned and started walking, and Victoria took a moment to quickly scoop up the man's pistol as she passed it on the way down the hill. She knew she was getting in deeper than she meant to, but it was too late to back out now, and she could only hope that Felipe remained concealed to act as back up if things went bad, which was all too probable. She had one loaded weapon she could trust and no time to reload, and her knife would only be good in close combat or for trying to escape.

José looked startled when she appeared, the other man stumbling forward in front of her. "Señora de la Vega!" he exclaimed.

"José, you have a lot to explain. Don Alejandro and I bailed you out, and now I find you here with this band of thieves. A band I'm going to have to take in."

The leader laughed. "You've got a lot of spirit, little lady. I like you. But tell me... How are you going to get us all back to Los Angeles? We outnumber you," he said.

"What makes you think I'm here alone?" she said, tightening her grip on her pistol with one hand while making a piercing whistle using her other.

A moment later, an arrow came whizzing through the air nearly knocking the man's hat off. And a few moments later another came from a slightly different area, skittering past the man's feet. Good, Felipe was moving about.

"Now," she said, "if anyone tries to make a move, they'll get a pistol ball right between the eyes. Not to mention feeling the wrath of my... company." She shifted her gaze around rapidly, trying to keep an eye out for threats.

"You haven't got the nerve," the leader said.

Victoria heard a horse whinnying behind her, and she took a quick look over her shoulder to see the man she had hoped was safe at home. She was simultaneously relieved and concerned; he wasn't supposed to be riding horses yet. However, you wouldn't know it from the confident way that Zorro sat astride Toronado, blade in his hand.

"Trust me, Señor," he said with a smug grin. "She has the nerve."

Now ignoring her and her weapon, the leader drew his own sword and moved toward Zorro, who really couldn't engage in one of his usual bouts. Victoria wasn't sure what to do, if anything.

Zorro grinned wider. "I'd be delighted to cross swords with you. However..." In a sudden maneuver, Toronado was close enough to rear up and knock the sword from the man's hand, neatly disarming him.

However, the man then launched himself at Zorro knocking him off Toronado's back, his sword flying from his hand. Victoria forced herself not to cringe as she saw it, especially as the man picked up Zorro's sword. Quickly, Victoria brought the pistol round and pointed it at the man.

"Don't move!" she shouted.

"Please, Señora," José said, "you don't understand."

No, she didn't, but that wasn't going to stop her from acting.

"The fight is over, Señor," the lead bandit called to Zorro, ignoring Victoria's pistol as if she weren't standing there.

She wondered at his confidence until she heard a woman whimpering nearby and turning spotted José's wife being held with a knife to her throat.

"Julieta?" The word slipped out. So this was the information she was missing.

José spoke up, giving the explanation that she no longer needed. "I was trying to protect my wife and children. The stolen horses were making their getaway difficult. So they hid them in my corral. After you posted bail for me, I went home and discovered they had taken Julieta and the children. They left a note saying if I didn't bring the stolen horses to their secret hideaway, I would never see my family again."

Victoria could tell that Zorro was trying to hide his injury as he spoke. "Once again, we learn to presume a man's innocence until he is proven guilty."

"I knew that there had to be a reason for this," Victoria said. "I knew you weren't a thief."

The man in the hat scoffed. "This is a waste of time. Throw down your weapons or the Macias woman dies, muy pronto!"

Zorro coldly responded, "Señor, you've picked the wrong day to try my patience." He lashed out with his whip, hitting the bandit holding Julieta and knocking him down before whipping his saber out of the bandit leader's hands and catching it in his own. Not giving up the man grabbed up his sword from the ground and lunged for Zorro.

José rushed to his wife, as Victoria swiftly looked around trying to determine what she could do. There was the swish of an arrow behind her and a yelp, and Victoria turned to see a bandit holding his hand in pain. Felipe was still nowhere in sight, but she was glad to see him acting.

She had no time for more as she saw a man coming up behind Zorro, who was dueling the leader.

"Zorro, look out!" she called.

He quickly turned and parried the man's thrust of his sword before disarming and punching him in the face. Another man pulled a pistol, too far for Zorro to act in time, and almost without thought Victoria aimed and fired, hitting the man's arm, causing him to drop his pistol.

The man Felipe had disarmed looked to be ready to get back in the fight, so before he could act, Victoria hit his head with her pistol. Zorro's head had turned to watch her, a mistake as the man he had been fighting had pulled a knife.

"Behind you!" she yelled, as the man started to throw his knife.

Spinning, Zorro knocked the knife from the air with his sword. As the man tried to escape, Zorro recovered his whip and snapped it out and around the man's leg pulling him back on to the ground.

Victoria took a moment to turn to the Macias family. "Are you all right, Julieta?"

The woman was nearly crying as she hugged her children to her. "Yes, yes," she said.

"Gracias, Señora de la Vega," José said.

Turning back towards Zorro, Victoria saw that he had remounted Toronado. She worried about the damage his leg might have taken during his fights, but she had to hide her concern. So she said, "I was right. He was innocent."

"And you saved my life. I owe you my thanks, señora."

"We owe you so much more, Zorro," she said.

"Hardly," he said. "But is there anything I can do for you, señora?"

"Not a thing unless you can keep my husband from worrying about my absence," she said in a lighthearted tone.

"I am a man, not a miracle worker," Zorro said with a forced grin. "But you will be able to ease his mind soon enough, I expect, once you return Don Alejandro's horses home." He looked around. "Now I'm afraid I must be off. Can you handle these men?" he spoke equally to her and José and his family.

"I'm sure we can," José replied.

"Then, I bid you good day," Zorro said before turning and riding off.

Victoria watched for a moment, worried, but shook it away and said, "Well, let's get these... men taken care of."

"What about... whoever came with you?" José asked.

Victoria thought about it for a moment but in the end thought it couldn't really hurt to have Felipe come down. Better than making it look like they had something to hide.

"That's Felipe," she said, waving an arm in the air. "He came with me. We weren't exactly expecting to be tackling the thieves. He was looking around when I got into trouble."

"Oh," José said. "But the whistle..."

"That wasn't the signal," Victoria said. "It was the arm motion, if he could see it." She looked around to see Felipe making his way carefully down. "Which obviously he could. Now we had best get these men tied up and to the pueblo along with the stolen horses before we get into any more trouble. Yes?" She moved purposely towards the fallen thieves.

~Z~Z~Z~

Once he made it back to the cave, Diego had changed as quickly as his aching leg would let him before limping painfully back upstairs. He drank down a bitter tincture of willow bark which he hoped would help though it was not as effective as laudanum but certainly less addictive, before making his way to the table outside where he sat propping his leg up on one of the other chairs while he waited for Victoria and Felipe to return. He hoped it would be soon and that he hadn't made a mistake leaving when he did, but he certainly could not afford to arouse suspicions about Zorro's leg while his own was still healing.

And now he had nothing to do but brood on the foolhardiness of the two of them putting themselves in the path of danger, of forgetting that there was more than just José out there. Also, they should have waited until he returned as he certainly did have information that would have made an impact on their mission. All things considered he believed this particular recklessness had been more Victoria's than Felipe's. Felipe had enough experience that he should have known this was a bad idea.

The time seemed to pass quite slowly as he waited. He used to be a patient man. He'd always understood that patience was a virtue. His ability to out wait his enemies had come in handy more than once. He'd suffered from numerous injuries, so why did one broken leg make his patience utterly disappear. Perhaps it was simply the greater inconvenience that a broken leg had brought him.

Finally, he heard the sounds of a wagon and horses approaching, and made his way up and to the gate to see Felipe leading his father's stolen horses towards the hacienda, while Victoria rode on the wagon with José's family, and José was guarding the bandits on horseback.

Composing himself to look only pleased, Diego called out, "I see you found more than what you were looking for."

Once she stopped the wagon in front of the gate, Victoria hopped down, while Felipe led the stolen horses towards the stables. He was carefully looking away, as if he was expecting a scolding, which he probably was, but obviously, Diego wouldn't be doing that in front of outsiders.

"Yes, well, we found the real thieves along with José and with a little help from Zorro..." she gestured to the men behind. "As you can see."

"And I imagine you're heading into the pueblo to turn these miscreants in as well as return the cuartel's horses."

"Exactly," called José from his position behind the thieves.

"Would you mind if I join you?" Diego asked. "Just to see this through to the end, though it seems I have missed most of it."

"Please do," José said.

As he technically could not ride yet, Diego took Victoria's place driving the wagon, while she mounted her own horse to ride beside it. To keep up appearances, he asked for the details of what happened, expressing surprise and shock when required.

It wasn't long before they were entering the pueblo. He could see his father and De Soto talking surrounded by some exhausted looking lancers. Not that they looked much better. But then he saw his father's head turn towards them and then he grinned broadly gesturing toward them.

As the drew up close, De Soto, looking flummoxed as usual, called out, "Who are these men?"

"These," Victoria said, with a backwards gesture, "are the men who are responsible for the robberies. And by the way, Father, the family's horses are back in the corral."

"Which is where I met up with them," Diego said.

"Excellent," Don Alejandro said. "But how?" He gestured at the men now being led by lancers toward the jail.

"Well, it's a long story, but the simple explanation is that José Macias helped me to apprehend them and bring them back to you."

"He did what?" De Soto exclaimed.

"Apparently, you arrested the wrong man, Alcalde," Diego said with just a touch of spite. If De Soto would just do his job right, then he wouldn't have to don a mask and ride out after villains. "Again. It really is a habit you should try to break."

"And we would like our bail money back," Victoria added.

"Bail?" De Soto asked, almost as if he'd forgotten about it. No surprise. He never liked to let money go once it was in his grip though he was not quite so rapacious as Ramone had been.

Mendoza was looking flabbergasted. "Señora Victoria, it's impossible. You and José captured all these thieves?"

"Well... there was Felipe, and..." Victoria started.

"A little extra help," Diego added gesturing towards the men who all had Zs cut into the back of their coats.

Mendoza smiled at that.

Don Alejandro slapped his gloves against his thigh and said, "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like a long cool lemonade."

"Splendid idea. Have one on me, Father," Diego said, hopping down from the wagon, an involuntary "ow" escaping him as he hit his leg wrong. He started towards the tavern, feeling it was best to get to a seat before Victoria insisted on it.

He wasn't so fast that he missed hearing De Soto's loud exclamation behind him.

"Such a baby," De Soto said with contempt. Diego mentally shrugged it off. He preferred De Soto to underestimate him after all.

He also just as clearly heard Victoria's reply. "One 'ow' from a broken leg hardly makes him a baby, Señor," she said.

A moment later, she was by his side, taking his arm, as they headed into the tavern.

~Z~Z~Z~

It was some time later that they arrived home. Diego's father was in a very good mood and on spotting Felipe told him that he should have come to the pueblo and enjoyed the celebration, after all, he had earned it as much as Victoria or José. Diego could only shrug. His father too obviously approved of both Victoria and Felipe's heroics, and he wasn't sure what he really wanted to say to Felipe, but they would be having a talk and soon.

But for now, the day had been long, and he and Victoria still had a conversation to have. Once they were inside their bedroom, Victoria turned the key in the lock while Diego stood still balancing with his cane.

"Diego, please sit down," she said, gesturing towards his chair. "We need to get your boots off."

"I can get them off myself," he said, as he sat down.

"I know, but I'd like to help you, if you'll trust me," she said softly, as she brought the foot stool closer.

"I do trust you," he said.

With great gentleness, Victoria removed his boots, before looking at his injured one with a critical eye.

Sighing, she looked up at him. "Have you taken anything for the pain?" she asked.

"A little tincture of willow root. Nothing stronger, I didn't want..."

"I know," she said. "And cactus tea makes you too sleepy. So go ahead and say your peace. I know you've been wanting to."

"I was worried about you," he finally said.

"Well, I was worried about you," she said. "I didn't want you to risk your leg."

Standing up, Victoria went over to the other chair, taking off her jacket before she sat down to pull off her own boots.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Making things fair. I don't want you to feel at a disadvantage in your bare feet."

"Victoria, come here," Diego said.

Reluctantly, Victoria came closer, and Diego pulled her down into his lap.

"Is this how you want to argue?" Victoria asked as she slid into a more comfortable position that made it less likely that she might hurt his leg by accident.

"I don't particularly want to argue," he said softly, one arm wrapping around her, his expression melancholy, "but we need to talk about the risks you took today."

"I had Felipe with me," she said. "And you'd promised me you wouldn't ride as Zorro with your leg."

"Did you expect me to sit at home while you rode into danger?"

"No, but I thought it wouldn't be too dangerous. We were just looking for José, and Felipe and I did go armed. And despite the upset, Felipe and I were doing fine."

"Yes, until there were hostages. Felipe has made remarkable progress, but he's still young without all the strength and experience he needs, and while you are a fine shot Victoria, two pistols against a gang is not the best strategy, even with a hidden archer."

"We didn't expect there to be a gang."

"And that's the problem. If you'd waited until I'd gotten home, I could have told you that something had happened at the Macias place. Neither of you thought it through."

"I'm sorry. I thought we could handle this. I didn't want you to hurt your leg." She wasn't looking at him as she played with the top button of his shirt, finally unbuttoning it.

" _Mi preciosa_ , if anything happened to you, I couldn't go on. My leg will heal, but no amount of money is worth your life. We are married now— partners. I need you to promise me that you won't do something like this again."

She looked up at him, eyes glittering. "I promise."

He kissed her gently. "Good."

"Are we through arguing now?"

"Yes, we're through arguing," Diego agreed, then leaned forward to kiss her again, this time a little more deeply. "Thank you for saving my life."

Victoria mock-frowned, unbuttoning the next two buttons of his shirt, sliding her hands underneath in a light caress. "Is that all the thanks I get?"

Diego smiled, his arms slipping behind her, hands reaching for the fastenings of her shirt, as he nuzzled her neck. "Oh, no, _mi preciosa_. That's just the beginning of my thanks."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The argument between Victoria and Diego along with their making up was the first part I wrote, and it was written back somewhere in the middle of my writing season 3, though in the end I did have to revise it a bit to fit in with the rest of the story.
> 
> It was a bit difficult to get all the logistics of the changed timing to make sense, but I really needed Diego to miss out on meeting Victoria both times for obvious reasons. But then actually, the timing of the episode itself didn't entirely make sense as it seems as if Diego had gone to the pueblo, heard Victoria planning to ride out after José, then just rode back to the hacienda to tell Felipe only to decide to ride out after he sees Victoria is actually following through. 
> 
> Anyway, another challenge was trying to get a decent dynamic between Victoria and Felipe, especially since I've never really been able to do his character justice. Initially Victoria was going to be in charge because her temper was up and Felipe was trying to temper that, but then I thought about the fact that he's the one with the most experience even as Zorro's hidden sidekick and that this Victoria while impulsive can rein it in when necessary and that she would listen to Felipe's opinion. So I tried to make this more even handed a partnership however brief. 
> 
> You know I really, really hated Victoria's line about Diego being a baby over a broken leg nor Don Alejandro's equally insulting follow up. One "ow" hardly a baby makes nor was Diego milking his injury at the beginning of the episode either, so honestly it seemed a bit unnecessarily critical for either of them and just as if the writers wanted to remind the audience that Victoria and Don Alejandro were clueless by making them both insensitively dim. Sigh, there were better ways to handle things without making them stupidly insulting. And in any event, it's kind of obvious in this version of the story, if anyone is insisting on babying Diego it's Victoria, so that really would not remotely make sense. So having just written the previous note, I decided to shift the baby line to De Soto as he's ill tempered and obnoxious and has had a long and tedious day and is just looking for an easy target.


	46. A Question of Loyalty (The Arrival) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arrival of the King's Emissary causes trouble for the pueblo in general and the de la Vegas' in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Arrival" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor. 
> 
> Also especial thanks to pamz for her transcripts. This time more than any other as it's only through them that I have any idea about the extra scenes that were in the movie version (Conspiracy of Blood) of this four part story line, since I've never been able to see it.

Letter to Ynez Risendo

_Madrid 7 June 17–_

_My dear Ynez,_

_I have the information you seek; however, I am unconvinced that it will do you any good. You have been ill and grieving for too long. What good will it do you to confront Don Alejandro de la Vega for the wrongs you feel he has committed? The past is done; the man is in service to the King, married, and, if rumors are correct, expecting a child with her. What difference do you really think you will make with a man with his connections? Let the past go. Return to your avocation or find something else to fill the emptiness in you. You are young enough to find another husband, perhaps a widower with a child in need of a mother._

_Vengeance is not your place. Let the dead rest in peace._

_However, if you insist on confronting the man despite my warnings, he and his wife are currently residing with her parents at ----- street here in Madrid. Still, I advise you to not make this man an enemy. It will do you no good. Let the dead rest in peace._

_Your uncle,_

_Severo Delgado_

~Z~Z~Z~

_Los Angeles. 18–_

"Come, children," Don Alejandro said as he pulled on his riding gloves. "We might as well get to town. It wouldn't do to be late and miss the king's emissary." He impatiently mounted Dulcinea.

"Does no one know why this one is coming?" Victoria asked, as she mounted her own horse.

Felipe was already waiting a bit ahead of them.

"I doubt it's anything to do with that business of the Carvajal brothers," Don Alejandro said. "Not that he deserved the praise he got for it." He looked at his son. "I don't know what Zorro was thinking to encourage it."

"Yes, you do," Diego said evenly as they started riding. "No easier way to get the man to drop his accusation that Zorro was responsible for the whole debacle, including the brothers' deaths, and maybe no better way to get him another assignment."

"I still can't believe that it all had to do with something Luis Ramone did so many years ago," Victoria said. "The man is dead and yet still managed to cause trouble."

"And if anyone could overcome such a handicap, it would be him," Don Alejandro said.

Felipe nodded in agreement, making his sign for Ramone.

"So," Victoria said, not willing to let her original question drop. "Since it's unlikely to have anything to do with water poisoning and probably not the Indians as with the last emissary, what could this one's purpose be?"

"Could be anything," Don Alejandro said. "The last letter I got from Cecilio mentioned meeting the new emissary at a reception of the governor's but said he was more interested in asking questions about Los Angeles than going into details about why he was in California. And if the governor knew he wasn't saying anything. And that was with Magdalena doing the questioning."

"Well, then, no one was talking," Victoria said.

"We'll find out why he's here soon enough," Diego said. "Provided he's prompt in his arrival."

"Indeed," Alejandro said as he spurred his horse on, "so let's not be late in ours."

~Z~Z~Z~

"The alcalde's certainly gone all out on the decorations," Diego said as his family stood outside the tavern, watching De Soto getting prepared to speak to the lancers.

The plaza was filled with streamers and a welcoming banner, as well as a large crowd many of which Diego did not recognize.

"Yes," his father said, "though I doubt it will do much to impress the emissary. They don't get their positions by being easily impressed by anyone except possibly their betters."

"True," Victoria said. "We can only hope that this one's visit is brief and for some good cause."

"You mean for a change?" Diego asked sarcastically.

"We can hope," Victoria replied as she took his hand in hers.

Their attention turned to the alcalde who was now addressing the lancers.

"Don Gilberto Risendo will be arriving here shortly," he said as he stood before his men. "He is a special emissary from the King himself. Now, I do not know the exact nature of his mission here. But it is vital . . ."

"Importantísimo!" Mendoza exclaimed.

"Thank you, Sergeant," De Soto said dryly before getting back to his point. "That he take back to Madrid with him glowing reports of Los Angeles. And I want you to bear that in mind during his entire stay here in our charming little pueblo..."

Suddenly a voice interrupted De Soto's speech. "Charming pueblo?" a stranger in a light grey suit exclaimed. "I've seen better dung heaps in the slums of Madrid."

Like the crowd Diego was taken aback but also immediately on guard. Such an obvious blatant insult was meant for a purpose, and he had to wonder what that purpose was. He stepped closer to Victoria as he looked around the plaza trying to spot anyone who might be with this loud stranger and noticed another man in a tan suit who kept close to his side and walked like a trained fighter. This was not looking good.

The alcalde responded as indignantly as expected. "How dare you, Señor?" he exclaimed. "I beg your pardon. Identify yourself immediately."

As if he had been waiting for it, the man in the tan suit pulled out a rolled parchment and handed it to the first man who extended it to De Soto with a mild flourish. Watching as De Soto read through the document, Diego didn't need to do more than to see his changing expression to know that the insulting gentleman had to be none other than the expected emissary, Don Gilberto.

What was more painful was seeing De Soto trip over his own tongue when trying to recover from the unexpected shock. "Emissary Risendo, we... uh... we... we expected you to arrive by coach. We had a big welcome planned."

Over Risendo's sarcastic response, De Soto urged Mendoza to have the band start playing, as if that in any way could stop the disaster unfolding before them all.

However, Diego would not have predicted the next words out of the emissary's mouth.

"Arrest him," he said to his companion, who immediately started towards the alcalde.

De Soto immediately began protesting. "Emissary, I'm the alcalde of this pueblo, appointed by the King himself." He gasped as Risendo's man grabbed and twisted his arm behind his back. "Aah! Lancers!" he called out. "My men are loyal to me."

This unaccountably made the emissary more smug. "Tell that to my Royal Guardsmen," he said loudly as he turned around in the plaza.

Soldiers with weapons began emerging from the tops of the roofs of the church and other buildings, while others came rushing into the plaza from every direction. Diego was shocked at how quickly it happened and how not even he had seen any signs of such a force as they had come into town. Of course, he had not been expecting anything, but that was no true excuse to be caught so unprepared.

The Emissary apparently thought so as well as he turned on De Soto. "For a leader of a colonial garrison, you were too easily surprised, Señor. And such incompetence in service to the Crown is a felony."

While it was shocking enough to see De Soto arrested and hauled away to the cuartel, what the Emissary said next went even beyond that.

"Your alcalde will be executed at sunrise."

While the crowd was shocked into silence, Diego felt that he should have expected Victoria to jump in. She rarely reacted as others would, and it was more in her nature to speak out than be silent, even when that was the wiser decision.

"Executed?" she exclaimed as she rushed forward. "On what grounds?"

Diego, knowing there was no chance to stop her at the moment, moved up behind her preparing to do what he could to soften or divert attention from her as best he could.

"Perhaps you'd like to join your treasonous, inept alcalde?" the Emissary asked sharply.

"Treason?" Victoria asked. "What are you talking about?"

Diego wondered as well, though he wished that Victoria would calm down as things could only get worse. De Soto had done many bad things, but treason was not one of them. Not with his particular ambitions.

"Spain is embroiled in a war with France," Risendo said. "An expensive war. And your distance from Madrid does not excuse you from your obligations to the King."

"Obligations?" Victoria exclaimed. "Well, excuse me, but we pay our taxes. We pay taxes on our homes, on our crops...We pay taxes on everything."

Indignantly she looked around. Diego caught her eye for a second, but she was too furious to catch his warning as she swung back to look at the emissary.

"You will now pay a special war tax," Risendo said. "I am authorized to collect a total of ten thousand pesos."

"Ten thousand pesos?" Victoria's outrage was explosive. "On top of what we already pay, that's... that's..." Her words petered out as the emissary's companion pulled a pistol out and aimed it at her.

Diego immediately moved in front of her. This was getting too out of hand.

"Ah, Señor Emissary, I must apologize for the señora," Diego said, deliberately not identifying her as his wife, as he wanted to put the appearance of a distance between them as he worked to draw the man's attention from her to him. "She's a modern woman. Argumentative, perhaps, but fiercely loyal nonetheless."

Risendo's man lowered his pistol after a sign from the Emissary. Diego wondered if what he was about to do was incredibly foolish but he felt it would be best that if there was a de la Vega the man was to focus on, it would be him. If he made himself seem weak enough, the emissary would probably simply lock him up rather than execute him. Still...

Diego took a breath. "It's, um, a shame the war with the French goes so poorly," he said, in what he hoped was a mild and conversational tone, without the intention to offend.

Risendo rose to the bait. "Poorly? We are close to victory."

Diego assumed a confused expression. "Well, but just yesterday I received a letter from an old friend, a captain in the cavalry. He tells me that our armies are being routed."

"And just what would be the name of your friend, this captain?" Risendo demanded.

Diego ignored the question to continue. "He says that his men are laying down their arms in surrender," he said, and then an edge he had not entirely intended entered his voice. This might be going too far, but still... "After all, he should know what's he talking about. He's in the front lines, not collecting taxes in the colonies."

Risendo turned red. "I'll have his name!"

Diego shrugged. "It's really not important." Now, he could only hope his gamble would pay off.

"Lieutenant Hidalgo," Risendo said to his companion, "take this arrogant caballero to the cuartel."

Without looking around, Diego calmly walked toward the lieutenant, relieved that things had not gone worse. For the moment. Though considering that De Soto was under threat of execution, he could only hope that he would not be in jail for long.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria cursed herself as she saw Diego led towards the cuartel, and the emissary's men clearing the plaza of people. So much time spent learning to control her temper, and she simply lost it at the worst possible time. At the end she had managed to choke back the worst of her thoughts, but it wasn't enough. Not if Diego felt the need to draw attention to himself rather than her with the man who had condemned the alcalde to death without any trial.

She drew back, even as Don Alejandro rushed forward. She could only hope his actions wouldn't be as problematic as her own had been.

Señor!" he called out. "It's my son you have in jail."

"Then you should teach him to keep a tighter rein on his mouth," the emissary said impatiently.

Don Alejandro didn't let that stop him. "De la Vegas always speak out!" he said, then added, "I never thought I'd see the day when free speech would be denied in Los Angeles."

"De la Vega?" Don Gilberto asked, with a strange expression on his face that Victoria could not interpret. "And you would be..."

"Alejandro de la Vega, friend to the royal family," he said with pride. "Perhaps even you have heard of me?"

Don Gilberto stared at Don Alejandro for a long moment before replying. "Oh, yes, I've heard of you, Señor. I've certainly heard of you."

Victoria froze at the tone. She had hoped that her initial impression of his recognition of the de la Vega name would be in their favor, but now there was something sinister there. Or so it seemed for a long moment before with an utter change of tone the man started talking about how well remembered he was in Madrid. Victoria was bitterly reminded of De Soto's compliments to Don Alejandro when he arrived before showing his true colors. Here Don Gilberto had already shown himself to be a man of cruelty, so why the sudden warmth directed to Don Alejandro?

One of his men approached him and said something in his ear. Don Gilberto flashed an insincere smile. "Excuse me for a moment," he said. "I've something to take care of and then we can speak."

Don Alejandro huffed and turned toward Victoria. "This man is playing at something," he said.

"Yes, but what?" Victoria asked. "One moment all threats, and now... it's like some kind of game."

"Well, I'll play his game if it gets Diego out of jail," Don Alejandro said. "Just so far though." He snapped his gloves.

Victoria nodded, but then caught the eye of Felipe who was standing well back near the tavern, away from the soldiers. He made a small signal to her, "retreat."

"Excuse me, Father," she said before crossing over to Felipe.

They stood in the shelter of the porch. "What is it?" she asked.

Felipe made the sign for Diego and pointed to her and then himself and then the sign for hidden and dangerous.

"He wants us not to draw attention to ourselves," she translated. "Or in my case no more than I already have." She didn't bother asking how he'd gotten the message to Felipe. It could have been on the way to jail or even after he'd been put into it. They had a shorthand all their own that she had never been able to understand, and Felipe had already mastered the art of going unnoticed when he wanted to.

Felipe nodded. Victoria sighed. She had made too many mistakes today; she would try not to make any more. She looked across the plaza and saw the emissary emerging from the alcalde's office. He was now wearing a uniform.

"All this..." Victoria just managed to only look around the plaza rather than gesture. "... and he has to change clothes."

Felipe shrugged and signed that maybe he was hiding behind the uniform.

"You might be right," Victoria said quietly as she watched him speaking with Don Alejandro in a rather boisterously cheerful manner as they walked across the plaza and into the tavern. "He's definitely hiding _something_."

Though she had no intention of drawing the Emissary's attention, Victoria decided to follow Don Alejandro and Don Gilberto into the tavern. With the plaza increasingly clear, it was actually the safer place to take refuge.

As she entered, she heard Don Gilberto saying to Don Alejandro, "And your old friend, Don Jose Cabrillo. He owns five textile mills and half of Barcelona."

While her father in law had his back to her, Victoria could easily imagine the impatient look on his face from the way he set his gloves on the bar.

Don Gilberto continued speaking. "Has four sons and thirteen grandchildren. How about you, Alejandro? Any grandchildren?"

Victoria cringed a little as she made her way around the room, not liking to be the subject however obliquely of the discussion. She could now see Don Alejandro's face and his irritated expression.

"Not as yet, but my son hasn't been married long," he replied.

"Is that so? What a shame," Don Gilberto said, then an edge crept into his voice that Victoria did not understand. "I would have thought as a de la Vega, he would have acted more quickly to extend the family line."

"Well," Don Alejandro said with barely controlled temper, "he won't be doing anything about it while he's sitting in your jail."

With a rather condescending tone, Don Gilberto said, "Look how agitated you are. Something to drink, hmm?" His false smile was back.

Señor Calvillo looked at Don Alejandro for a moment. "Hernando, if you please," he said, with a more controlled tone.

With a nod, Señor Calvillo bent down and pulled out a couple of glasses and a pitcher and set them before them with thanks from her father-in-law.

Still concerned, Victoria went to look over the bottles on the table near the doorway to the kitchen, so that she could still listen without being too obvious about it.

Despite the low tones, she could hear Don Gilberto's falsely confidential tone as he spoke to her father in law.

"Don Alejandro, as a friend to the King, you know that no matter how badly the war with the French goes, we can't go telling such things to every peasant or laborer..."

"Or taxpayer?" Don Alejandro interjected dryly.

"Precisely," Don Gilberto said as if he took Don Alejandro's words as sincere agreement. "You see, we understand each other perfectly. On the other hand, uh... Diego—is that his name?—seems terribly confused by the political realities of today's world."

Victoria glanced over at Don Alejandro. He was clearly trying to keep his temper but not succeeding very well.

"Well," he replied carefully, "the foremost reality is that Diego—and that is his name—sits in your jail, doesn't he?"

"You must hold him very dear," Don Gilberto said.

Victoria wondered if he was planning some sort of deal or bargain. She turned to more fully observe the emissary as Don Alejandro spoke.

"He's my only son," he said. "We're loyal to each other," he lifted his glass in a toast "and to Spain!" He took a drink.

Again, there was a strange expression on the man's face. Was he testing Don Alejandro somehow? "In that case, he shall go free," he said with an air of magnanimity, as he drank from his own glass.

She could see her father in law nod his head before picking up his gloves and walking out the door of the tavern. Bending down to the shelf beneath the table where some napkins were, Victoria glanced sideways at the Emissary who was staring in her direction though not actually looking at her. He seemed upset by something, but what? What was it? He set his glass down on the bar and headed out the door.

Victoria breathed a sigh of relief but decided to not complicate things by following them to the jail. Things were already complicated and confusing enough. There would be time enough to figure things out once Diego was free.

At least, she hoped there would be. 

~Z~Z~Z~

As Diego stood in his cell, he began regretting his getting thrown into jail, since it meant listening to De Soto's nonstop protests. Not that he could really blame the man as he was facing summary execution.

"I'm the alcalde. I'm the authority here," he was saying for the fifth or the sixth time. "He can't do this to me."

Diego finally felt he had to state the obvious. "It's my guess he planned to execute you long before he even arrived."

"Why? Why me, hmm?" De Soto asked.

More with the obvious. Diego couldn't really keep sarcasm from his voice though it was to a certain point true. "Because you're the most powerful man in the territory."

Enlightenment seemed finally to dawn on De Soto. "Oh, of course. Of course! If he hangs me, he'll be obeyed and feared by everyone without question."

Exactly. Diego had no idea what Risendo's true purpose was. It could hardly be a simple tax collection for the man to act in such an outrageous fashion. He turned as the door to the jail opened and Sergeant Mendoza entered the room.

De Soto practically rushed the bars when he saw him. "Sergeant, what's going on out there?"

Mendoza looked off kilter and upset. "Emissary Risendo has declared martial law. His men have disarmed all our lancers."

"What?" De Soto exclaimed. "He can't do that. No emissary can have such sweeping powers."

Diego agreed but wondered what they would be able to do about it. He was a little surprised to see Mendoza come over and unlock the door to his cell.

"What are you doing, Sergeant?" De Soto demanded.

Mendoza spoke hesitatingly. "He had given me direct orders to release Don Diego."

Well, at least he had been right that the Emissary wasn't particularly aiming to make too much of an example of him, though he had expected to be held longer. He stepped outside of the cell, wondering what was going on.

"What about me?" De Soto asked, grabbing onto the bars.

Mendoza hung his head a little as he answered. "I'm sorry, Alcalde."

He turned to exit the cell area ignoring De Soto calling after him, though he had not yet reached the door when Diego's father walked through it. He came over and hugged Diego as he stepped out of the cell.

Diego had hardly noticed the presence of the emissary until he spoke.

"Such devotion between a father and son," he said, disdain dripping from each syllable.

His father glared back as he responded. "De la Vegas take great pride in family loyalty."

"How inspiring," Risendo said, his contempt even stronger and more grating. "It should be a lesson to us all."

Diego had no idea what was going through the man's mind, but there was something personal there, and it raised his hackles. Almost forgetting himself, he started towards the man, only to feel his father holding him back.

"Diego. Can we go home?" he said.

Of course, and there seemed to be irony in the fact that it was his father who was better keeping his temper. Diego walked past Risendo, their gazes locked until he passed. He paused outside the door as he heard De Soto asking Risendo what would happen to him.

The response was chilling though not unexpected. "You? Why, you're going to die, of course."

Diego then hurried after his father before the man exited the cells. He had no more desire to speak to him again at the moment. Not until he figured out what he was going to do.

He saw Victoria standing across the plaza and walked to her immediately. He took her hands in his.

"Are you all right?" she asked quietly.

"I think so," he said. "Just wondering what is going on with this emissary."

"I as well," she said, glancing over at the alcalde's office, she could see Don Gilberto looking out at them. She quickly looked away, hoping Gilberto hadn't noticed her looking his way. Victoria took Diego's arm and started leading him toward their horses."Let's try to figure this out at home."

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one case where I thought we needed some information from the villain side, but I have had a strict policy of writing this from either Diego or Victoria's perspectives, so I came up with the idea of using letters and journal extracts as a way to get around that this time around. In any event I hope it all works. 
> 
> As I was rather dissatisfied with the nonexplanation of the madness of Ynez Risendo and her insane plan, I've worked my own in and hope it will make sense in time, as the full explanation will not come out until the end.
> 
> And as for Ynez's uncle's name. For anyone who's read my Zorro/Monster Squad crossover, they might recognize the name of Delgado as belonging to Dracula's right hand man Boris who in that story is also Ynez's brother. And though I'm leaving out the supernatural elements and a brother, I am keeping the Delgado name for her uncle.
> 
> The reference to the Carvajal brothers and the events surrounding them is referring to the events of the episode "As Ye Sow" which I skipped over as I didn't think there'd be much point, and I preferred to concentrate on these episodes. 
> 
> Also I hadn't really noticed the fact that Gilberto changed clothes between the moment in the plaza with Don Alejandro and their speaking in the tavern. I'm not sure if that was a continuity error (of which the show was rife) or we're meant to think he went to the trouble of changing before his speaking with Don Alejandro. I actually debated whether or not to have him do that in order to take a break and pull himself together. First I decided against it, but another part just wouldn't let me drop it, so I gave in and went with it.


	47. A Question of Loyalty (The Arrival) Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was a little bothered by the letter in the episode being from Madrid, when Ynez was clearly in California at the time. Maybe it was meant as misdirection or a commentary on the slowness of the mails. I don't know, but that's why I changed that bit. 
> 
> We get our first extract from Gilberto Risendo's journal in this part, and the reason I say that it is encoded is that while he's not exactly subtle in his scheming, I would hope he would have sense enough not to write it out in such a way as would be simple for others to read, so I have him writing in an easy for him to remember substitution code that would keep someone just glancing at his writing from knowing what it's about.

From the Coded Journal of Gilberto Risendo

_So that was Don Alejandro Sebastian de la Vega. Somehow I thought he'd be taller. Or at least show his evil character in his face or bearing. He was not what I expected at all. Oh, he is a clever deceiver. All that talk of loyalty for a man who knows none. And for the son he chose above me, and above.... No, I will see him brought low for his crimes and exposed to the world for the villain he truly is. He will lose everything._

_Tomorrow I will see that my power over the pueblo is not questioned by the execution of their corrupt and incompetent alcalde. While I suppose with his ambitions the man might have been useful to me, I think he will better serve as an example of what might happen if my orders are crossed. I cannot have anyone coming to the defense of the de la Vegas when it is time to crush them._

~Z~Z~Z~

At the hacienda, the group gathered in the library as despite both Victoria and his father having seen and been in the cave, to his relief it was still thought of primarily as Zorro's domain and mostly left to him and Felipe. Much as he loved them both, he still wanted to keep a separation between the mask and them. Though he had over time become more comfortable with Victoria's presence there on occasion, he still had difficulty seeing his father there. It was best that they met here. The servants were out of the house, so they were unlikely to be disturbed.

At the moment Felipe was signing about the alcalde being in jail.

"You're right," Diego said. "It is rather ironic that the Alcalde sits helpless inside his own jail."

Don Alejandro said, "He deserves a bit of time there, but we can't allow him to be unjustly executed."

"No," Victoria agreed. "We can't let the emissary do something like this."

Felipe signed, asking about the emissary's guards.

"Yes. Risendo's guards are hardened warriors. That's why whatever happens tomorrow... we must be prepared for the worst."

"What have you got planned, Diego?" Victoria asked.

"Not knowing exactly what Risendo has planned for tomorrow will make it difficult but one thing I do know is that Zorro is going to have to get close."

"And how is he going to manage that?"

"I've been thinking about that." A sly smile crept over Diego's face. "What's called for here is a little divine help."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria climbed under the covers of their bed where Diego was already laying still, his mind clearly on his plans for the next day. There was an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. She did not like her part of the plan which was really nothing at all. She was to stay out of the way, more watching and observing, and only if necessary (and they had covered all the contingencies of what would be necessary) act to create a distraction. She supposed it was better than the idea that she remain at home ostensibly with Diego. He'd been absent enough over the years that no one would think it too odd, and on the off chance the Emissary noticed they had the usual excuses ready.

She hated that she had been a liability earlier, though she took some comfort from the fact that once the emissary's attention had turned to Diego and Don Alejandro that she had apparently been dismissed as unimportant and beneath his notice. Just an emotional female. Not an attitude that she was unfamiliar with. Sometimes as now it proved useful, though it still raised her ire.

Curling over on to her side to look at her husband, Victoria sighed a little. She had faith in him. She always had, though it was harder with the knowledge that Zorro really was a man under that mask, vulnerable to injury and mistakes. She'd tended to too many of them to believe that Zorro was invincible. And tomorrow he would not be facing the pueblo's lancers who never tried too hard to catch him, but soldiers used to battle. And there was very little she could do to help him.

"Victoria," Diego's deep voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up to see her husband staring at her. His hand reached out to caress her face.

"Thank you," he said, turning towards her.

"For what?" she asked. "Causing trouble or agreeing to stay out of the way." She didn't particularly like the bitterness in her words.

"Victoria," he said, "your instinct is always to defend against injustice; it's part of who you are. I wouldn't change you, and today was a shock for everyone. I'm sorry that your being married to me means that at times you have to step back."

"Don't be. It's a lesson I've needed to learn," she said. "Not everything can be dealt with by confrontation." _And I know that; I've known it for so long_.

"And not everything can be done by a man in a mask," he said. "Sometimes there has to be someone who speaks up when no one else will."

Victoria leaned into him. She was feeling more concerned about tomorrow. "What do you really think the Emissary's goal is?"

He closed his eyes. "I don't know. It's a power play. But why? Why Los Angeles and why now?"

"Do you think it's about Zorro?" she asked. "Like Palomarez."

"I suppose it is possible," Diego said. "It can't simply be about the war tax or even De Soto. After all, if he was being removed for incompetence, arrest rather than execution would be the normal approach. This—this is something else."

"You will be careful tomorrow?" Victoria asked.

"Of course, and Felipe will be there too. Ready to act if necessary."

"Then you both need to be careful," she said. "I couldn't stand it if anything happened to either of you."

"We will," Diego said, leaning over to kiss her. "I have no intention of being careless at this time."

Victoria felt the passion of his kiss, and though she knew he was trying to distract her from her worries, she did not particularly care. If anything, they could find comfort and strength in their love for one another.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria stood outside the cuartel, watching the door of the alcalde's office, a sick feeling of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. Don Alejandro had gone inside in what was probably a vain effort to get the emissary to change his mind about the execution. There was a large crowd around the edges of the square, waiting to see what happened, while the Emissary's royal guardsmen kept things in order.

Señor Calvillo came up beside her. "This is not the safest place to stand," he said quietly. "Not if things go wrong."

"Do you mean beyond the execution?" Victoria asked, clenching her fists to keep in control. Surely he was speaking of that and not what Diego— Zorro— was planning. Nothing was looking good this morning, though she had faith in Zorro's ability to get out of any trouble he got into.

"In a sense," he said. "But I also mean the execution itself. There's no gallows set up, and I don't think they're planning on a firing squad."

He nodded his head in the direction where some of the soldiers were wrangling two wagons about for reasons Victoria could not determine but which suddenly seemed to take on a more sinister cast.

"I have the feeling this Emissary has something more... dramatic in mind," he said, as he continued looking around the plaza. "That's why you would be better standing on the other side of the plaza. You might want to be ready to escape back through the tavern with Alicia and Pilar if things get ugly."

"Ugly?" Victoria asked.

"Can't be sure. Mobs can be started by anything, and with troops about . . ." He shrugged. "I have two loaded pistols hidden under the bar, as well as two more stout sticks like the one I've got hidden up my sleeve. Hard enough to turn a blade," he said before adding, "well for the first few strikes, and you can hope that you can flee before you have to deal with more."

"Do you really expect that kind of trouble?" she asked.

"Better to be prepared for it," he said, with his grim look. "There's bad omens today."

She nodded. Señor Calvillo glanced around once more then started moving casually toward the thickest part of the crowd. Despite his advice, Victoria only moved in the direction of the outside edge of the alcalde's office. If she had to make a diversion, it would be better in the vicinity of the Emissary, but in this position she could more easily retreat through the chapel and hope that no one would defile the sanctity of the church. As she reached her new spot, Victoria saw the door to the alcalde's office open and De Soto being pushed outside by royal guardsmen followed by the Emissary and Don Alejandro.

She could hear her father in law's demanding questions as they emerged. "No gallows? Where's the firing squad?"

Risendo had his back to her but she could still hear his responses clearly enough. "Hangings and gun fire are so quick and clean, that they have very little lasting effect upon the rabble."

"Rabble?" Don Alejandro interjected. "The good people of this pueblo are hardly rabble."

The Emissary scoffed. "Then these good people are about to get a lesson in loyalty to the Crown." He pointed at De Soto as he was being pushed forward. "You see, this form of execution has become quite the vogue in Spain. Once they've seen a man ripped apart..." he paused to take in the sounds of shock around him before continuing, "everyone seems to forget their petty criticisms of the government. Tie him!"

"You can't be serious," Don Alejandro exclaimed.

"Watch," the Emissary said. "You'll see just how serious I am."

"This is barbaric!"

"True," Don Gilberto said casually. "Then war itself is barbaric."

De Soto was being tied to the wagons. Victoria didn't like the man, but no one deserved a fate like that.

The Emissary now spoke loudly for the crowd. "And as I have tried to impress upon you all, Spain is at _war_!"

Victoria nervously watched as Mendoza approached to put a blindfold over De Soto's eyes. He jerked away from the blindfold, telling Mendoza no.

"Alcalde, it will be easier this way," Mendoza said pleadingly.

"No blindfolds," De Soto said. "The De Sotos have always faced death with dignity. I'm not going to break my family's tradition."

Victoria was impressed with this unexpected bit of bravery on De Soto's part. It made it more sickening to hear the Emissary's almost cheerful dismissal of both men.

"I put de Soto's inept sergeant in charge of the execution on pain of death. The irony is perfect, don't you think? The incompetent in the hands of the incompetent," he said before calling over to Mendoza. "Is everything in order, Sergeant?"

"Sí, Señor Emissary," Mendoza said reluctantly.

"Then you may proceed with the execution," the Emissary said.

Victoria pulled back a little, arms wrapped around herself. She didn't want to watch, but she had faith in Zorro— in her husband— to arrive in time, and she needed to be aware in case _she_ needed to act. 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall figure in priest's robes moving around the edge of the crowd. One quick glance and she knew who it was and turned her attention toward the scene going on in front of her.

Mendoza stood nervously in front of De Soto as the Emissary started harshly berating him.

"Well, what are you waiting for, you ignorant buffoon?" he demanded, stalking towards him. "Get on with it."

Mendoza stiffened before turning his head to look at the Emissary and saying, "No."

"What did you say?" Don Gilberto asked incredulously.

Oddly enough, it was De Soto who responded, with an air of wonder, "He said no."

Don Gilberto, obviously more angered than impressed, brought up a pistol and pointed it at Mendoza. "Proceed with the execution. Now!"

With a shaking voice, but clear determination despite the possible consequences, Mendoza said, "No! It's not right."

Before Don Gilberto could say anything, the disguised Zorro grabbed a musket from one of Risendo's guardsmen and punched him in the face. He then shot the pistol from the Emissary's hand before tossing the now empty musket aside, only then stripping off his disguise.

Now in the open, he ran towards the wagons, kicking away a lancer who tried to stop him.

"Drivers! Start your wagons!" Don Gilberto shouted.

As the wagons started moving apart, Zorro leaped in slashing the ropes, releasing De Soto from his bonds. The alcalde fell to the ground next to Mendoza, who leaned down to check on him.

The crowd was now running for cover, leaving the plaza nearly empty except for the soldiers and a few brave souls like Don Alejandro and Señor Calvillo who stood around the edges. Half hidden by the wall, Victoria continued to hold her position near the alcalde's office. She saw Zorro standing waving his sword in the Emissary's direction, surrounded by men with muskets. Desperately, Victoria looked around for something to use, but then Don Gilberto called to his men.

"Leave him alone, Guardsmen."

Victoria relaxed slightly though not entirely. Overconfidence in his enemies almost always worked in Zorro's favor, but there was a first time for everything. However, she was surprised that Don Gilberto ordered his lieutenant to attack Zorro rather than doing it himself.

Lt. Hidalgo drew his own sword and brandished it theatrically.

"Very impressive," Zorro said with heavy sarcasm. "Can he fight as well?"

"Can he fight?" the Emissary said with a laugh as he clapped a hand on the man's shoulder. "Lieutenant Hidalgo has killed over a hundred Frenchmen in battle."

"Too bad for him I'm not French," Zorro said as he casually turned his back on the two men, bringing his saber up to rest on his shoulder.

At that mark of contempt, Hidalgo quickly lunged towards Zorro, who had been anticipating such a move and turned to parry the man's thrust, easily driving Hidalgo backwards. Victoria almost shouted as one of the Royal Guardsmen took aim at Zorro, but before she could there was a gun shot from above which hit the man's helmet, knocking him off balance.

More people ran for hiding at the sound of the shot, while Zorro continued pushing Hidalgo backward before he suddenly kicked him in the chin. The man fell back against Risendo who caught him.

"Consider that a warning!" Zorro said pointing to the soldier who had been hit by Felipe's bullet. "The next man to interfere will not be so fortunate."

Hidalgo got back on his feet and lunged at Zorro, who parried before punching the man hard enough to knock him to the ground. Behind Zorro, Victoria could see another guardsman taking aim at Zorro. He too was hit with a shot which bounced off his helmet.

At the sight of his lieutenant down, the Emissary whipped off his sword belt before pulling his sword from its scabbard.

"Stay away from him! He's mine!" he yelled.

"Señor, I'm flattered," Zorro said with a mocking bow.

Risendo lunged at Zorro in an aggressive attack. Zorro let him drive forward as he almost casually countered his attacks. Finally, Zorro stepped to the side, allowing the Emissary's momentum to carry him forward where he managed to stick his sword into a wooden crate instead of his intended target.

Once Risendo pulled his sword out, he and Zorro circled one another briefly before Risendo attacked again. Victoria watched the fight nervously. Zorro was clearly the better fighter, but she was still not sure what would happen if the Royal Guardsmen attacked. She knew the local lancers were not an appreciable threat, but these unknown men...

In her distraction looking around at the soldiers, Victoria had missed some of the fight. The Emissary's sword was on the ground. Zorro held it down with the tip of his own for a moment before moving his sword away and allowing him to pick it up. How much longer was Zorro going to toy with the man? Victoria thought nervously. What exactly was this going to do? She doubted that it would do anything other than enrage the man.

Almost as if answering her unspoken question, Victoria saw Zorro punch the Emissary in the face, he then grabbed him and slammed his head against a post. He seized his face in a tight grip. Victoria almost unconsciously moved closer to try to hear what he said.

His voice wasn't very loud, but it was clear enough for her to follow his speech.

"A representative of the King should govern with compassion, Señor," he said, then tightened his grip. "And justice. These people came to Los Angeles and settled the wilderness. They've earned their right to be treated fairly and with dignity. Never forget that. Should it slip your mind, I'll return to finish this encounter. Now collect your taxes quickly and begone. Adiós."

He turned away. The Emissary looking punch drunk snatched up a pitchfork and threw it at Zorro, who managed to see it and knock it aside.

Finally the Emissary called out for his men. "Guards! Guards!"

Zorro hopped onto Toronado's back. Another guardsman aimed at Zorro only to be hit by another of Felipe's shots. Victoria could only be relieved that despite the shots, the guardsmen were still focused on Zorro rather than finding the sniper who was knocking them out of action.

Riding up to the Emissary, Zorro said, "Our fight is not yet over, Señor." Then he turned and started riding away, as the Emissary called for his men to kill him.

In the confusion, Victoria saw Señor Calvillo run up and apparently trip over knocking several of the Los Angeles lancers down. He started apologizing profusely, as yet another shot hit the helmet of another guardsman.

Victoria forced herself not to look up to where she knew Felipe was. Now was the time for him to escape. Zorro was rapidly getting out of range of the soldiers' weapons, and some of the men's guns were pointing up and around. Felipe needed to make his way out into the crowd, preferably to the other side of the plaza. She knew that he and Zorro had already had something set up to hide the muskets and ammunition from a superficial search. With a sudden burst of relief she saw Felipe over by Señor Calvillo, looking nothing like he'd been doing anything but hiding in the crowd.

She saw Don Alejandro cross to where De Soto and Mendoza were and decided that it would be for the best for her to join them.

"Alcalde, are you all right?" Don Alejandro asked.

Before De Soto had a chance to say anything, the Emissary stalked up to them.

"Make no mistake," he said, pointing at the alcalde. "You are still under sentence of death. And so is your sergeant for refusing my orders. However, capture Zorro and I'll repeal the sentence. You have three days. Or I will take great pleasure in shooting you both myself."

He then turned and walked away, leaving Mendoza and De Soto looking at each other in shock. Victoria stood there in silence as well, all the words of comfort she could think of seeming to be hollow.

Finally, the silence was broken by Don Alejandro, who in a tone of rather forced heartiness said, "I think you two gentleman could use a drink. I'm buying today."

"Thank you, Don Alejandro," Mendoza said. "I could use one or two."

"Maybe more," De Soto said with a grim smile.

"Then let's get you started," Don Alejandro said. He turned toward Victoria. "Will you join us?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Victoria said. "But go ahead. I'll be over to the tavern soon. I just want to check on a few things first."

"Of course, Victoria," Don Alejandro said, with a knowing glance. "Take your time."

She watched as the three men walked towards the tavern. The alcalde seemed the most unsteady on his feet, understandable considering how close he'd been to death and was yet still threatened by it. Victoria skirted the edges of the crowd of people who had emerged from hiding once the shooting was over. She met Felipe as he was walking back in the direction of the tavern. More for show than anything, she made a point to ask if he'd been hurt or if he'd taken cover during the excitement. He grinned at her and mimed hiding behind a barrel until the dust settled. Victoria felt relieved that the soldiers that were milling about now paid little attention to either of them as they went together back towards the tavern. They were just part of the crowd, and Victoria was grateful for that. Despite it all, everyone was still focused on Zorro's daring rescue, and not really questioning the mysterious assistance he'd received during it.

She asked Felipe if he wanted to return to the hacienda, but he indicated that he wanted to stay for a bit adding in a sign hidden from any observers that he wanted to keep his ears open for any news. She just nodded as they entered the tavern. Don Alejandro and Mendoza were standing together at the bar, talking with Señor Calvillo, while the alcalde was sitting alone at a table with a bottle of wine in front of him. He was staring into his half full cup.

"Father," Victoria said, when she reached the bar, "I'm going to return home and let Diego know what's happened today. Felipe's staying for now."

"He can ride back with me," Don Alejandro said with a casual wave of his hands, though Victoria knew it was a deliberate act on his part. "Too much excitement for him to want to leave, I'd wager."

"You'd be right, but I've had all I want and would rather be at home for the moment, since I see Señor Calvillo has things well in hand here," Victoria said.

"Sí, Señora," her manager replied. "We've got everything handled."

"Give my regards to Don Diego," Mendoza said, as he tossed back the contents of his cup.

"I will, Sergeant," Victoria said, before turning and leaving.

It took some time to make her way out of the pueblo between the now buzzing crowds and the wait at the stables, but she finally made her way home, to find Diego sitting at the desk in the library apparently innocently going over the record books. When he saw her, he pushed back the chair from the desk and pulled her down onto his lap for a kiss.

Victoria leaned into his embrace.

"So tell me what happened," he said.

"Well, once Zorro saved De Soto from execution and escaped from town, there was a half-hearted looking around for who could have shot at the guardsmen, but it was soon given up," she began quietly not bothering with any pretense since they were alone. "And the Emissary was still angry and told De Soto that he was still under sentence of death, and..." she paused a moment, "Mendoza was as well for his refusal to follow orders. They've been given three days to capture Zorro or the sentence will be carried out."

"So all Zorro did was grant a reprieve, and now Mendoza's in danger as well."

"Yes," Victoria said, "but Mendoza's in danger because of his own actions, not Zorro's. He was standing up for what he believed to be right."

"He is a brave man," Diego said. "This isn't the first time he's put himself in danger for others."

"He's learned by example," Victoria said.

"I'm not sure about that, but he has certainly changed over the years," Diego said. "A long way from the man who would simply follow orders without asking questions." He kissed the top of Victoria's head. "However, that still doesn't change the fact that we'll need to figure out how to thwart the Emissary without letting Zorro be trapped."

"I don't understand what he's after," Victoria said. "This can't be because of the war tax. And if the government hadn't done anything about De Soto when he was behaving worse than he has been lately, why decide to execute him now?"

"Very good questions," Diego said. "I wish we had the answers. And while I know there have been those who have wanted to get Zorro and make a name for themselves, our Alcalde among them, I don't think he'd be doing all this just to capture a masked bandit."

"No," Victoria said. "Though I suppose it could have been part of his reasoning. But Los Angeles isn't very important otherwise. Is it?"

Diego shook his head. "Not really. But that's also been why men have thought they could do with it what they will, and why Zorro needed to defend it. The very fact that it is unimportant does make it exploitable to a certain way of thinking."

Victoria sighed. "So it means we're no nearer to understanding why the man is doing the things he's doing. It could be ambition or greed or some personal vendetta that we know nothing about."

"True. And no matter what he's after, we have only three days to figure it out."

"And to save Mendoza and the alcalde."

~Z~Z~Z~

Letter from Ynez Risendo to Gilberto Risendo

_Monterey 18–_

_My dear son. You should have arrived by now and be well on your way to achieving your real purpose in visiting Los Angeles: the destruction of the de la Vegas. You must never forget the humiliation I suffered at the hands of Don Alejandro de la Vega. Never forget you were rejected by your natural mother. But I took you in, loved you, and cared for you._

_The de la Vega inheritance will be yours, dearest Gilberto. Be my arm of vengeance and grind them into the dust._

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little bothered by the letter in the episode being from Madrid, when Ynez was clearly in California at the time. Maybe it was meant as misdirection or a commentary on the slowness of the mails. I don't know, but that's why I changed that bit. 
> 
> We get our first extract from Gilberto Risendo's journal in this part, and the reason I say that it is encoded is that while he's not exactly subtle in his scheming, I would hope he would have sense enough not to write it out in such a way as would be simple for others to read, so I have him writing in an easy for him to remember substitution code that would keep someone just glancing at his writing from knowing what it's about.


	48. The Fox and the Snake (Death and Taxes) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Risendo escalates his campaign with threatening the church as well as more directly targeting the de la Vegas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Death and Taxes" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor.

Letter from Graciela del Castillo to Ynez Risendo

_6 June 17–_

_Dear Ynez,_

_Though your last letter speaks of your successes at midwifery, I still would wish you would come and visit us; you have been too much alone since your Gilberto died. I have missed you, and soon my beloved Rafael will be off to defend king and country, leaving me alone here. Or I would come to you for a short time if it would not be too troublesome. Time will be emptier here without my husband, though he is of good cheer._

_Just last night he, Alejandro (I suppose I should not call him that now that he is Rafael's commander, but old habits die hard and they are both officers) and Alejandro's younger brother Alfonso were out celebrating for hours and came home drunk and singing of their victories at the card tables. Rafael and Alejandro at least, Alfonso had to be carried between the two of them, as he has not yet their heads for wine. Though I am surprised they managed to keep their winnings considering their states. Now, do not fret for Rafael's funds; I have put them aside as always. He never takes more than we can afford to lose. I do not begrudge him his fun. I pray that his luck holds as he goes into battle that he may return safe home to me, but with such a friend as Alejandro looking after him, I have little doubts._

_Do let me know if you will come to me, or I may come to you once my husband is away._

_Your loving sister,_

_Graciela_

~Z~Z~Z~

The next morning, Diego and Victoria walked into the dining room hand in hand. He pulled her chair out for her to sit before taking his own. Breakfast had already been laid out, and Maria walked over and poured out coffee for each of them. "Thank you," Diego said.

"Yes, everything looks delicious," Victoria chimed in.

"Do you need anything else?" Maria asked.

"No, thank you," Victoria replied, with a glance at Diego. "Everything is fine. You can see to anything else you need to do. I don't think we'll require anything else here."

Maria quietly vanished as Diego took a sip from his coffee. He put the cup down and stretched as he yawned.

"Are you all right?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, just still tired," Diego said. "It took me quite awhile to get to sleep last night."

"Well," Victoria said as a sly smile spread across her face, "that's not entirely a bad thing. You didn't seem that tired."

Diego returned her smile. "No, not bad thing at all." He took her hand and kissed it. "And I'm never that tired."

At that moment, Don Alejandro strode in saying it was time to go to mass. Diego barely managed an acknowledgment, still staring into Victoria's eyes.

"Well, what kind of scene do you think the Emissary will make today?" Don Alejandro asked with a rather annoying amount of enthusiasm.

Diego's smile lost a lot of its sincerity. "Surely he'll take Sunday off." Zorro had already had a busy day and an eventful evening as he'd made a surreptitious trip to the pueblo to check on matters only to end up being chased by lancers when he'd been careless enough to be seen.

"Besides what more can he do?" Victoria asked. "He's already put our alcalde under sentence of death. He wouldn't do something like Palomarez and threaten the whole pueblo with death by lottery, would he?"

"Who can say?" Don Alejandro said. "He's behaved as a tyrant from the moment he appeared in the pueblo."

"Well, perhaps the words of Padre Benitez will prompt a little soul searching in our Emissary."

"Considering how little the good father has affected our most recent alcaldes, I have my doubts," Don Alejandro said.

Felipe entered the room signing that the carriage was ready.

"Good, good," Don Alejandro said. "Now, children, if the Emissary is there, I intend to be the one he pays attention to. There's something that man wants from us. Otherwise he wouldn't have been so quick to turn around and release Diego when he had just condemned de Soto."

"Unless, he wants to keep us unsettled, unable to be sure whether he'll be cruel or kind," Diego said.

"No, there's something," Don Alejandro insisted. "I don't know what it is, if he wants to ingratiate himself with one of the leading families or something else. But I will be the one he notices. I want you two to remain in the shadows, and..." he wrapped an arm around Felipe "you to remain invisible to him. Let him think of me as a blustering old man too old and too stubborn to keep quiet."

"I don't know..." Diego started.

"Oh, Son, it's the role I've played for years even when it wasn't an act," Don Alejandro said with a laugh. "Now come along, we don't want to be late for church."

~Z~Z~Z~

The ride to the pueblo was quiet. And although they were slightly later than usual, they still were among the earliest arrivals. Victoria saw her helper Teresa wave at Felipe as they arrived. With a nudge from Diego, he slipped away to join her.

As they were about to enter they saw Mendoza trudging up, trying to brush dust off his uniform.

"You look exhausted, Sergeant," Victoria said. "Are you all right?"

Mendoza sighed. "As well as can be expected. After the excitement last night, the alcalde had me up early to go out looking for Zorro. Twelve different caves and there was a bear in the last. We just got back. I don't know what's going to happen. It's not as if we can find Zorro, and even if we could, it's not right to trade a man's life for mine, is it?"

"Of course it isn't, Sergeant," Victoria said. "But I'm sure it won't come to that."

"I can only hope... and pray," Mendoza said. "So excuse me please." He trudged into the chapel a forlorn look on his face.

Victoria looked up at Diego who had remained quiet throughout the exchange.

"Don't worry," she said as she leaned against him. "I'm sure… something will happen to make everything work out right in the end."

She leaned against him. "I think I too will add my prayers. Let's go inside, Diego."

Diego looked up at the cross above the chapel. He wondered how long he would need to bear the burden of being the pueblo's chief protector. _No_ , he thought, _now isn't the time for doubt or self-pity_. "I'm certain of it," he said and placed his hand over Victoria's arm. "In the meantime, let's add our prayers to those of the good sergeant."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria and Diego followed Don Alejandro out of the church. Not many people had been there, and Diego could feel the air of tension from those who had been. There had been an almost invisible wall around the Emissary and his aide with few daring to even look in his direction.

In an effort to appear normal and commonplace, he spoke to his father, pointing out the obvious. "I've never seen such a small turnout for Sunday Mass before."

"People are afraid to come to town, Diego," Don Alejandro said loudly, almost theatrically.

Ah, his father was doing what he said he'd do: be the one to draw attention to himself. To be very firmly the head of the family. Victoria stepped forward to speak to Padre Benitez, he joined her before stepping along followed by his father. The alcalde and Sergeant Mendoza followed behind them.

Unfortunately the Emissary was immediately behind them, and he seemed as determined to make a show of himself today as yesterday.

"I assumed you said your prayers, Alcalde," he said loudly. "Because if you don't catch Zorro within two days, you'll be soon meeting your maker."

For once De Soto said nothing and left, Mendoza trailing behind him. A wise maneuver on their parts. Diego's father had moved over to speak with Don Roberto and a few other caballeros. Probably to get a feeling for what they wish to do. Diego angled himself slightly away from where Risendo stood and looked at his wife who was very obviously trying not to glare at the emissary and his lieutenant.

Still the emissary was apparently not done with his business. He gave a quick glance around the plaza before addressing Padre Benitez in a voice still meant to be heard.

"A splendid mission you have here, Padre Benitez," he said.

"Well, thank you," the priest said. "It was built by the local Indians."

"Under Spanish rule and supervision, of course," Risendo said.

Unable to respond to such an asinine statement, Padre Benitez shrugged.

"Then I'm sure you appreciate his Majesty's generosity," Risendo continued.

This at least prompted an incredulous response from the good father. "Generosity?" he exclaimed. "But it is the duty of every Christian king to send the word of God to the four corners of the earth."

"Hmm. Just as it is your duty to discharge this mission's obligation to the royal throne."

_What is the man up to?_ Diego wondered. _What obligation is he talking about?_

"With all respect, our only obligation is to God," Padre Benitez said, pointing towards the heavens.

"God isn't engaged in a war with the French," Risendo said. "The Church shares our duty to support the Spanish Crown in that effort." Looking around the plaza again, he raised his voice even higher. "I hereby confiscate all mission property."

At those words, Don Alejandro whirled around. "What?" he exclaimed. "You can't do that."

"Really?" Risendo asked smugly. "And just who is going to stop me?"

_God preserve us from another man who thinks that the distance from Madrid excuses his crimes,_ Diego thought. _He has to be mad to think that he can get away with an attack on the Church which will not take kindly to any secular interference in its affairs and whose support the King relies heavily upon._

Padre Benitez pointed out the obvious, "But this is unheard of. What you propose is unprecedented."

With a smug smile, Risendo said, "It is rather creative, I agree."

"Be warned, Señor Risendo," Don Alejandro said angrily, "the people of this pueblo will never stand for this."

"The people are a seditious pack of jackals!" Risendo shouted. "Don't threaten me with insurrections, de la Vega. For years, the Church has grown fat with the help of the Crown. Now it is simply time to pay the piper." He turned and walked away, followed by Lt. Hidalgo.

Diego looked over to Felipe who was watching Hidalgo speaking to Risendo as the men walked towards the office, though he didn't need to see what he said in order to deduce that the man was warning him against the possibility of an uprising. He wondered if that was exactly what the man was hoping for, but to attack the Church was madness, as that was something that those in power would not excuse or tolerate. What was the man thinking? Normally, Diego might think this move to be indeed the work of a lunatic, but in the case of Risendo, he had no doubt this was a deliberate, calculated move. Diego only hoped he could figure out the man's end game before it was too late.

~Z~Z~Z~

Gilberto Risendo's Journal

_This morning I made the next move in my game against the de la Vegas. A bold and somewhat dangerous move as it is one I would have great difficulty justifying to my superiors, but if everything goes to plan, and I am sure it will, as the people are sheep waiting to be herded in whatever direction the shepherd wants them to go. So predictable. Won't fight the death of their leader (not that he was much of one to begin with) but threaten their precious church and they'll protest. After all, it's the only comfort those mealy mouthed fools have in this miserable dung heap. That and their so-called hero. Not that he can stop me in this, the way he postponed the inevitable for that fool of an alcalde. No, I will arrange this so he can do nothing unless he wants to look as if he supports the rich man in preference to the poor._

~Z~Z~Z~

It had not been long since they'd left the pueblo. Don Alejandro had gone to speak to some of the caballeros who had not been at church that morning, hoping to get their support, but not feeling too optimistic. Diego had stopped to check his supplies in the cave before sitting down to write some letters. One was to Ernesto Moraga, who when last he had heard from him had been once again visiting his brother's family in San Diego before continuing his various investigative duties on his way back up to Monterey. Unfortunately, Diego had no idea where along the Camino Real Ernesto was currently much less how effective he could be in acting against a king's emissary. However, considering how events seemed to be escalating quickly, he felt he must try to get some other authorities involved in what was happening in Los Angeles. If he could get a messenger to his great aunt Catalina, she could send men enough along the route to get to Ernesto as quickly as possible. This was not a situation that was best left to Zorro.

His other hope was a message to the family lawyer Don Luis Cristobal in Santa Barbara. Not so much for his expertise with the law but his good relationship with the comandante of the cuartel there, a fair man unlikely to be overly cowed by even a king's emissary, at least when one was so blatantly exceeding his authority. But again that would take time, and he didn't know how much time they had. If only he knew what the emissary was really after. Risendo's actions were mad yet purposeful. Diego shook his head. He was as prepared as he could be for the moment, and Victoria was still in the pueblo, in the eye of the storm so to speak, and though he believed she was safe enough for the moment, he had no intention of leaving her there without him for long.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria watched the growing protests from the safety of the tavern porch. It had not taken very long for the news about the confiscation of the mission property to spread and the people to gather together, making signs to hold. She suspected that Domingo had been instrumental in providing the materials for most of them. He was the more radical of the two brothers, and the one who was always pressing for more in depth exposure of government corruption, and she saw him watching the crowd.

So far the soldiers were standing around guarding the alcalde's office but making no other moves. She wished she could predict what would happen, but the Emissary was quite frighteningly unpredictable, and she had no idea what his guardsmen would do if the crowd started doing more than just protesting verbally.

She noticed Señor Calvillo hovering around the door as well, one eye on the crowd and the other looking for defensible positions. The tavern itself was starting to fill as those who weren't actively protesting were trying to get up a town meeting to try to decide on some more organized course of action. One Victoria hoped would not lead to a wholesale massacre of the citizens of the pueblo. She wasn't reassured by the grim look on Lt. Hidalgo's face as he entered the alcalde's office.

A few minutes later, Felipe showed up by her side.

"Anything?" she asked.

He shrugged and indicated that the emissary was waiting for something.

"Probably the meeting," Victoria said, noticing that Diego and Don Alejandro were riding back into town. "So soon?"

Felipe shrugged again and made the sign of crazy.

"Unfortunately," she said. "Tyrants are tyrants but sane ones are easier to deal with." She forced a smile to her face when Diego and his father arrived in front of her.

"It's time for a town meeting," Don Alejandro said loudly and grimly. "Come on."

He didn't wait for them as he headed inside the tavern. Victoria noticed Padre Benitez crossing over with the crowd. He must have had someone watching out as well to let him know when it was time, as he had remained within the chapel.

"Are you all right?" Diego asked her.

She looked back at him. "Yes. The protests are starting to get louder, but nothing violent... yet."

He looked at Felipe who repeated what he had signed to her. Diego looked back at the alcalde's office. "Let's hope this meeting won't make things worse." He held out his arm to her. "Let's go."

~Z~Z~Z~

Once everyone who was coming in had entered and taken their places, Don Alejandro wasted no time getting started, though Diego wished he would tone down the rhetoric.

"My friends," he said, "we are faced with the brazen disregard for sanctity of our church."

This was met with loud shouts and calls for fighting. Padre Benitez stood waving his hands.

"No, no, no, no. No, my friends," he said. "Rebellion is not the answer."

Victoria couldn't remain silent either and had to point out the obvious. "His troops will crush us. We have to get... Z... outside help."

Diego almost winced at her sudden change of verbiage there as she stopped herself from saying his name. There were times he almost regretted that she no longer saw Zorro as a mythical hero but as a man, a skilled one, but one who could be hurt nonetheless. But she was right in this case. They needed something more than a man in black to deal with an emissary apparently drunk on his own power.

The tavern doors suddenly opened. Diego moved to block Victoria from sight as Risendo and his lieutenant entered to a sudden silence. Any doubt he might have had that Risendo had been listening for the most dramatic moment to enter was erased as the man spoke.

"Good people," he said as he walked towards the stage, "the fact is I share your concerns. But you've got to take a broader view of things. I have been sent here to collect a special war tax. If I return to Madrid empty-handed," he turned towards the crowd as he reached the stage, "the King will undoubtedly make an example of this pueblo. A violent, bloody example. You see, my friends, there are two inescapable realities of life: death and taxes. And you must choose between them."

Padre Benitez interjected with the obvious. "The Church has never been required to pay taxes."

To the point though Diego thought he could have said more. After all, the Church had power enough on its own to demand respect for its property so that the King would not dare to approve such tactics. But Diego remained silent. Gilberto Risendo had an agenda, and Diego was willing to wait for Risendo to expose it before acting.

"If the people of Los Angeles would only pay the balance of this special assessment, I would not be forced to confiscate Church property," Risendo said.

"Many people have paid," Padre Benitez said.

Risendo looked unaccountably pleased as he responded. "True, Padre," he said, facing the crowd. "Humble farmers go hungry to support their country's war effort. But as long as certain wealthy caballeros," he glanced significantly at both Diego and his father as he spoke, "avoid paying their taxes, I have no choice but to sell off Church property to make up the deficit."

_And there it is,_ Diego thought. _But is this a means of sowing dissension or to try to guilt more money from the wealthy or something else entirely?_

"What do you mean?" Señor Peralta asked. "Why don't they pay the same tax as us?"

"Because they get tax credits for supplying the military garrison with beef," he said.

_And there goes the misdirection_ , Diego thought. _Gentlemen, do not play into it._

Unfortunately, his father couldn't resist. "Yes, but the value is well below the market price."

This was not the time to protest, but at this point, Diego knew he wouldn't be able to stop his father. All he could do now was to not add to anything by moving from his spot.

Risendo added almost casually, "And they get twelve thousand acres of prime land tax free just for putting it under the plow."

"That is perfectly legal," Don Alejandro insisted.

_Perhaps_ , Diego thought, _but that isn't helping, Father, and you should know that. How many "legal" things have our alcaldes done that were hardly just or right?_

And to his annoyance, Risendo made exactly that point, "Oh, it may all well be perfectly legal, my friends, but as always, there is one law for the rich and another for the rest of us."

_The rest of us?_ Diego thought. _So now the_ King's _emissary is just another member of the poor and oppressed. Unbelievable._

"Who does this? Which caballeros?" Señor Peralta called out.

"Well, there are two right here," Risendo said, looking towards Diego and then his father.

_Of course he named no names,_ Diego thought, _but still the inference is obvious. What does he have against us?_ _Or are we simply the most convenient target?_

"Let the emissary take their haciendas instead of our church!" Señor Peralta cried out

Diego knew the man had suffered quite heavily from taxation which would explain why he was so easily swayed by the Emissary's words at the moment, but it was still frustrating to see how he and the crowd turned so quickly at such a specious speech. Not ten minutes before most were getting ready to storm the alcalde's office, and now it looked as if they would throw the de la Vegas or anyone else of sufficient funds to the wolves. Diego did not like the smug look of triumph in the Emissary's eyes as he looked back at him before walking without another word out of the tavern, once again followed by his silent lieutenant.

Once they were gone, Padre Benitez tried to restore order and calm to little avail, and Diego quietly moved towards his father.

"We won't be able to do any more right now," he said. "Best go home and give them time to calm down."

Don Alejandro huffed but nodded his head. "We may need to look further away for help."

Victoria stared around the room in irritation. "I can't believe them. After all your family has done to the help the pueblo..."

Diego shrugged. He had faith in people as individuals, but in groups, it was hard to predict which way they would go. And though he as Zorro had said otherwise, he knew all too well how fickle the people of Los Angeles could be.

"Do you think the people will be able to see what he's doing, to see reason?" Victoria asked.

"Yes," Diego replied, "given enough time. I just don't know if it's time we have."

~Z~Z~Z~

Don Alejandro was fuming all the way home and immediately headed to his desk, while Victoria disappeared into the kitchen to talk to Maria.

"It's outrageous, Diego. Absolutely outrageous," he said. "The man cannot believe he can get away with this simply by blaming caballeros for not paying up."

"It may be his way of trying to 'encourage' those of us with funds to pay the tax faster."

"Perhaps," Don Alejandro said reluctantly, "but I'm not going to sit still when he's trying such a blatantly illegal tactic. I'm writing to the governor."

Diego pulled a book off the shelf more to occupy himself than anything else, much as he suspected that Felipe was doing by grabbing a duster and starting to go over the piano with it.

"I'm not sure how much it will help. Especially since it will take a week to get there and who knows how long to get the governor to be willing to act against one of the king's emissaries."

"All the more reason to write now," Don Alejandro said. "And I'll also send a letter to your aunt and uncle. Your aunt has become quite close with the governor's wife, so I'm sure between them they can see that this matter gets the swift attention it deserves."

Diego shrugged, then smiled as Victoria returned to the salon.

"All's well?" he asked.

"Well enough," she said shortly.

There was a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Victoria asked Don Alejandro.

"Not particularly," he replied. "But after today?" He shrugged.

Felipe looked up and then headed toward the door followed closely by Don Alejandro.

Though he probably shouldn't have been, Diego was surprised when he heard his father greeting the emissary and his lieutenant at the door.

"Emissary Risendo, Lieutenant Hidalgo. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" the man asked.

He saw his father shrug as he responded. "Of course. Why not?"

Diego and Victoria looked at each other, and Diego tensed up, knowing that whatever it was that prompted this visit it could not be good.

Again with that air of showmanship, Risendo spoke, "A magnificent hacienda. How long have you lived here?"

Annoyed but with bluntness Don Alejandro said, "Many years. Ever since my father first arrived and worked the land."

"Indeed," Risendo said, "but I'm afraid your fellow Los Angelenos won't let you justify your failure to pay taxes on the backs of your ancestors. You see, the mere threat of me seizing the Church property very nearly caused a riot earlier today. And since part of my responsibility is to prevent civil insurrection the will of the people must be taken into account. Lieutenant Hidalgo, if you please."

_At last we have it,_ Diego thought, as Lt. Hidalgo opened the door and Risendo's men came rushing into the hacienda. _The purpose of his earlier charade._

"Alejandro de la Vega," Risendo said, with a triumphant smirk, "by the power invested in me by King Ferdinand, I hereby seize this hacienda and all adjacent property."

"You can't do that," Don Alejandro exclaimed.

"I have no choice," Risendo said. "The tax must be gathered, and I must keep the peace at the same time."

Don Alejandro's face tightened. "I see. Just so we're clear, the tavern does not belong to me or my son. It's the separate property of my daughter-in-law."

"How very... progressive of you. Or very prescient of you, Señora," Risendo said with a mocking bow in Victoria's direction. "And now that means you all have something to fall back on. And since I'm not a cruel man, you three may pack a bag to take with you. I would not want you to have nothing."

As his father looked about ready to explode, Diego touched his arm with a slight shake of his head.

"Very well," Don Alejandro said, shaking loose and turning to go to his room.

Victoria spun on her heels and headed straight towards their room. Probably to keep herself from saying anything. As he followed his wife, Diego glanced at Felipe who was moving back away from the soldiers and toward the kitchen. No one was particularly paying any attention to him. But then he looked like a servant, and servants were often invisible.

As soon as they entered their room, Victoria turned to Diego. "What are we going to do?" she asked.

Diego shrugged. "For the moment... pack. There's nothing else to be done."

"Why is he doing this?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know, but I do know that he deliberately provoked the crowd to give himself the excuse he needed to do this. And he might just have gone far enough for us to be able to get action taken against him."

"You mean the way we've had luck getting rid of our power-abusing alcaldes?" Victoria asked cynically.

"You have a point," Diego said, "but even they didn't start by threatening church property."

"Yes, but now he's grabbing your— our— family's instead," Victoria said, shoving some clothes into her carpet bag. "And how much help have we ever gotten with that?"

Diego slipped a couple of books in with the clothes he'd packed. "We'll find a way to fight this. If nothing else, the emissary can't spend too much time here if he needs to get the war tax to Madrid."

"If the war tax isn't just some excuse," Victoria said, trying to force the bag closed.

Taking it from her, Diego closed and then strapped it tight. "You have a point. But don't worry. We will manage."

Victoria closed her eyes. "We always do. But what about..." she pointed downward with a spinning gesture.

"There's always another way in," he said.

"Of course," she said, adding, "and another way out," as she headed out the door and towards the back door of the hacienda, obviously not wanting to see the emissary again.

Diego saw that his father and Felipe were already in the stable when they arrived, and Felipe was signing that he was staying behind.

"You don't need to do that," Victoria said.

Felipe signed quite fiercely that yes, he did. Somebody had to keep an eye on the emissary and what his plans were as well as look after the hacienda.

"He's right, Victoria," Don Alejandro said. "Someone must, and no one is better placed than Felipe."

Felipe signed that he was invisible.

"At this second," Victoria said. "But I doubt that will matter if they begin to suspect you."

"They won't," Felipe signed.

"Trust him," Diego said. "I don't like leaving him behind, but I trust him to know when to run if necessary."

"Apparently, I have no choice," Victoria said. She hugged Felipe quickly. "Be careful."

Diego put a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "This emissary is ruthless, so take care. He may not think you a spy, but I doubt he's the type to be kind to those he thinks of as beneath him."

Felipe nodded and signed for him to be careful and that this isn't over.

"No. You're right, it isn't." He took one last look back at the hacienda. _In fact, I think we may finally, really be getting started._

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an episode where a lot seems to happen in a short period of time. Making a timeline of events, it seems like most of the episode happens in the course of a day. From De Soto's and Mendoza's hunt for Zorro to the church to the mob to the confiscation of the hacienda to Diego's "leaving town" to the events which followed. Yeah, apparently all one day. I had considered expanding it a bit, but that was difficult with the pressure on De Soto to get Zorro within a short period of time. 
> 
> For the letter at the beginning, in case it's not obvious, the Gilberto mentioned is not the Gilberto of this story but instead her deceased husband (actually that might not be obvious but the first part I hope is). Also, in case the name Rafael del Castillo sounds sort of familiar, Rafael Castillo was the name of the character Henry Darrow played on the soap opera Santa Barbara, though obviously here they would not be the same actor. And that's all I'm going to say about the letter at the moment.


	49. The Fox and the Snake (Death and Taxes) Part 2

Gilberto Risendo's Journal

_I'm here in the home that is mine by right. I have written mother of this, and it should not be long before she joins us here. Though I have not yet finished with the de la Vegas yet. Hidalgo believes that Don Alejandro is the one to watch, but I am not so sure. There is something about Diego de la Vega that I do not understand. I am beginning to believe that he may be the one to watch, as he seems to do me. Don Alejandro is louder, but I have learned that it is often the ones who stay quiet who are the ones to watch as they are often the ones looking for weaknesses to exploit._

_I do wonder if it was wise to not claim the tavern regardless of Don Alejandro's assertions. Is it better to reduce them to the humiliation of being barkeepers or take everything now? No, it is best to wait. The tavern can be the next step if necessary. For now I will take the moment to enjoy what I have attained, and what they have been reduced to._

~Z~Z~Z~

"At least you still have the tavern, Señora," Señor Calvillo said as he poured out some juice for her and Diego.

"Sí but for how much longer?" Victoria asked. "That man is grasping at everything."

As if on cue, Don Alejandro came bursting through the door. "Diego! Victoria! I don't believe it."

"What's wrong?" Diego asked, crossing to where his father was.

"Emissary Risendo," Don Alejandro growled out. "He's impounded our bank accounts."

"He can't do that!" Victoria exclaimed.

The anger that he'd been trying to repress bubbled out as Diego said, "As the emissary is so fond of telling us, he can do anything he pleases."

"How do we get our hacienda back?" Don Alejandro asked.

This was not a conversation that needed to take place in the middle of the tavern, and as if to prove it, Señor Peralta turned around and said, "You should have paid your taxes. Then you wouldn't be in so much trouble."

"Señor Peralta..." Don Alejandro began, obviously happy for someone else to lash out at, but Diego couldn't let that get started.

"Father, please," he said, putting a hand on his father's arm.

Anger still showing in every gesture, his father said, "The man is living in our hacienda."

"I know," Diego said, leading his father back to the bar, where at most only Señor Calvillo would hear, and he at least was a friend. In a softer voice, he continued, "Consider this, it if was simply a matter of collecting the ten thousand peso war tax, he'd quickly sell our hacienda to the first bidder and be on his way back to Madrid. Instead, he chooses to protract this entire affair by taking our hacienda as his own home. And why impound our bank accounts so we have no way of regaining the hacienda? He's after more than money."

Señor Calvillo piped up. "Why doesn't Zorro do something about this man?"

"He can't do everything," Victoria said. "Not and guarantee everyone's safety. Look at what happened when he stopped the alcalde's execution."

"Yes," Diego said, "we can't expect Zorro to fight all our battles." He straightened his jacket. "I'm going to Santa Barbara to consult with Don Luis Cristobal."

"Oh, my friend the lawyer," Don Alejandro said.

"Yes," Diego said. "If we are to rid ourselves of Risendo, this battle must be fought in a court of law. I'll return as soon as possible." He looked at Victoria. "A moment before I go..."

Nodding, she led him back into the kitchen which Pilar left as soon as they entered.

"Take care," she said. "The emissary is ruthless and clever."

"With words perhaps but not quite as immune to trouble as he believes," Diego said. "Even the most cunning serpent can be felled by a properly applied boot."

"Or blade," Victoria said. "Let's just hope that the fox is more cunning than the snake."

"I'm sure he will be," Diego said. "Now the sooner I leave, the sooner I will be back. Though I do have messengers on the way to a couple of locations who will probably get their messages delivered well before I do."

"Good," Victoria said. "Less chance of them all going astray. Now care and come back to me as soon as you can."

"I will," he said, leaning down to give her a passionate kiss, before heading out of the kitchen and out the front door of the tavern, pausing only briefly as a tired looking De Soto and Mendoza entered.

Victoria really couldn't hear his question, but she could hear the Alcalde's negative response as he headed toward the bar.

"No. No luck at all." As he reached the bar, he said to Don Alejandro, "Risendo is not in his office." Looking suddenly worried, he added, "He's not here, is he?"

Arms tightly folded, Don Alejandro bit out, "No, Alcalde. The man is firmly ensconced in my hacienda."

Victoria almost could smile at Mendoza's incredulous exclamation. "You... sold your hacienda?"

Don Alejandro shook his head and with forced patience said, "No, Sergeant. We've been evicted."

"Evicted?" De Soto asked incredulously and looked around again.

"The tavern's safe for the moment," Victoria said. "But Diego's on his way to Santa Barbara to hire a lawyer. We have to do something after all."

Mendoza, whose attention was now apparently taken by the smell of food said, "Ah, chicken mole."

But before he could move anywhere, De Soto said, "Sergeant, you stomach can wait until after we've captured Zorro." He turned and headed wearily back to the door, while Mendoza lingered until the alcalde called impatiently, "Now, Sergeant!"

Mendoza reluctantly turned and followed. Don Alejandro turned and put his hands on the bar, head lowered.

"I am not a man suited to waiting," he said after a moment.

Victoria wasn't sure who he was speaking to, but Señor Calvillo who was busily scrubbing the bar said, "Yes, commander, but back in the day you certainly could if it meant the difference between victory or defeat."

"That's true," Don Alejandro said.

"And we are certainly fighting some kind of war now," Victoria said.

"It would be easier if we knew what it is that the enemy wants," Don Alejandro said. "Diego's right. If it was just about the money, he'd be willing to take ours and be gone."

"It looks personal to me," Señor Calvillo said. "Some kind of grudge, a grievance against you or your family."

"Yes, but why?" Don Alejandro said.

"Hard to say," Señor Calvillo said. "Sometimes it's for reasons that would make no sense to any sane person. And there is a kind of madness in that man's eyes."

"Or maybe like with the Alcalde, the Emissary decided to make an example of a prominent family, and we were easy targets," Victoria said.

"That makes as much sense as anything else," Don Alejandro said, then sighed. "Know thy enemy. I wish we did."

Señor Calvillo leaned against the bar. "Well," he said thoughtfully, "we may not know our enemy as well as we wish, but… then again… I don't think the Emissary knows _his_ enemy so well either."

Victoria knew immediately that Señor Calvillo meant Zorro. "Yes...yes, you're right," she said as she thought back to her conversation with Diego a few moments ago. _But I fear Risendo is soon to become much better acquainted with him._

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego made his way to the cave via the outside, as trying to approach from the hacienda would have been foolish in the extreme, considering that most of Risendo's men were guarding the place.

He checked on Toronado who seemed content enough for the moment before going to the spy hole to peek into the library, but it was empty, and unfortunately he could hear nothing. He retreated back to check on his gear, and then heard the whispering sound of the fireplace opening. While he believed it must be Felipe, Diego withdrew into the shadows until the boy appeared, waiting until he reached the clothes rack where Zorro's outfit hung before touching his shoulder to let him know that he was there.

Felipe jumped but then signed that he was relieved to see him.

"It's good to see you too, Felipe. You all right?"

Felipe simply shrugged. If things had been rough, clearly he had no intention of saying as much. So Diego instead turned back to the general situation.

"Obviously I had to come in through the cave. Risendo has the house surrounded with guards."

Felipe made a Z in the air.

"Yes, Felipe. Tonight is a night Gilberto Risendo will never forget."

~Z~Z~Z~

While Diego did not like sending Felipe back above, he knew it was necessary, mainly to keep them from wondering too much where he had disappeared to.

So he watched as Felipe made it back into the library unseen, though it seemed like it was by a narrow margin as no sooner as he started walking out of the library than Risendo, swaying drunkenly, grabbed him by the arm and held a glass up to his face.

"I want a drink!" he slurred.

Zorro could feel the anger building in him, even more as Risendo grabbed Felipe's ear. He was already up the stairs and through the fireplace before the man's next word.

"I don't care if you are deaf, you insolent pup," Risendo said. "This is a brandy glass. When I hold this up and it's empty, it means I want brandy."

_Well, in that event,_ Zorro thought as he grabbed a glass already half filled and forgotten from a table nearby before addressing his enemy. "You shall definitely have your brandy," he said, waiting until Risendo was facing him before tossing the contents of the glass into his face.

As Risendo stumbled back, Zorro could hear the movement of Hidalgo in the other room. He had all the subtlety of a charging bull and was more predictable. Zorro turned and put the glass back down on the table.

Hidalgo called, "Let me have him!"

"Kill him and be quick about it," Risendo said.

"Must we really do this again?" Zorro said as he watched the man's clumsy charge.

_Time to teach both these men a lesson_ , he thought as he dodged then kicked Hidalgo in the back as he stumbled past. Hidalgo fell forward, smashing a table before getting up and thrusting even more wildly than before. Zorro easily sidestepped each attack before punching the man in the face, sending him back onto the sofa.

"You're quick," Zorro said, as Hidalgo got up and tried to hit him with his sword. Zorro stepped on his blade when it hit the ground, yanking it from his hand. As Hidalgo bent to retrieve it, Zorro reached past him, grabbing a bottle which he then smashed over Hidalgo's head, knocking him out. "But not nearly quick enough."

He casually walked out of the library as Risendo began shouting, "Guards! Zorro!"

_Of course, he would_ , Zorro thought. "And here I thought this was just going to be between the two of us," he said, mockingly.

Two guardsmen came bursting through the front door with muskets, which they aimed and fired slowly enough that he could duck out of range, though he did check quickly afterwards to see if Felipe was safely out of the way.

As one of the guardsmen drew his sword and swung it towards him, Zorro grabbed his wrist before kneeing him in the stomach. As his fellow guardsman came at him, Zorro twisted the other man around in front of him, manipulating his sword arm to block the other's attack, before kicking him over onto the ground. He could just see Felipe knock the man out with a book as he punched out the man he had been holding. Twisting Zorro saw Risendo aiming a pistol at him so he reflexively dropped down as the man fired above his head.

In apparent annoyance, Risendo threw the pistol away before drawing his sword.

"You have interfered with my plans for the last time," he said.

"It is indeed the last time," Zorro replied, determined that he would teach the man to give up whatever schemes he had for Los Angeles. He pulled out his own sword and saluted.

They began to fight. Risendo's movements were heavy and uncontrolled as if he thought he could take him down by brute force, though it was the furniture and china that took the true brunt of the fight. He tried punching out but Zorro caught it easily and pushed Risendo back against the sofa. Risendo clumsily threw a table towards Zorro before grabbing another sword and rising to slash at him with both with little better results than he had with one.

Pulling a curtain down from the ceiling, Zorro covered Risendo's head before punching his face knocking him down and out. Before he could do anything else, he felt someone jump onto his back pinning his arms to his side, forcing him to drop his sword. Throwing off his attacker, he spun around to see Hidalgo slightly off balance. He punched the man, just as a shot rang out.

Horrified, he saw a blood stain appear on Hidalgo's chest just before he hit the ground. Out of the corner of his eye he could see De Soto in the doorway pistol in hand. Zorro crouched down beside Hidalgo trying to check his pulse.

Nothing. He looked over at the unconscious Risendo and then back at where De Soto stood in the open doorway, Mendoza now by his side. Quickly, he stood, grabbed his saber and made his escape out the back as he could not retreat through the library. In his wildest imagination, he couldn't have imagined this complication. His stomach tightened into a knot as he realized that a very bad situation had just gotten much, much worse.

~Z~Z~Z~

Gilberto Risendo's Journal

_Damn Zorro. Damn the de la Vegas. Damn my men for not being able to hit a man directly in front of them. Hidalgo is dead. Dead at Zorro's hand. We have served together so long and for him to be shot by a jumped up bandit in a black suit. It will not stand! And I should have that useless pile of bones De Soto ripped into pieces and used as fertilizer for simply standing there and doing nothing. I should raze this hacienda to the ground._

_But not yet. First I will destroy Zorro, then the de la Vegas and everything they hold dear. And in the end that fool de Soto and his even more foolish sergeant will pay for their failures to act._

~Z~Z~Z~

After a night of tossing and turning, trying to ignore various bits of commotion from the cuartel, Victoria gave up trying to sleep and went ahead and got dressed again before heading downstairs. This was a time she was grateful that with the exception of her father in law and Señor Calvillo that the tavern was empty. With the arrival of the emissary, the guests she had had moved on rather quickly, and it was unlikely there would be any new arrivals before the coach from Monterey came through in four more days.

She walked down the stairs, wondering just how often she had actually been grateful for a lack of business of late. Overnight guests tended to add to any troubles that were happening, when they weren't the actual cause of trouble themselves. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed that the tavern door was unbarred. Slipping across the room, she opened it to see her father in law sitting outside, a pot of coffee and a cup in front of him. The sky was starting to lighten as the sun had begun to rise, though the porch was still deep in shadow. The plaza was empty, and the cuartel quiet at the moment.

He turned as she closed the door behind her. "Couldn't sleep either?" he asked.

She sat on the other side of the table. "No." It was then she spotted that there was a second (empty) cup behind the pot. It seems Don Alejandro had been expecting her or possibly Señor Calvillo to join him. She poured out the still hot liquid into the cup.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Don Alejandro said. "Waiting, that is. I've never been too good with it. I'd always thought I'd get better at it with age." He laughed. "Imagine my disappointment."

"I feel like I've spent half my life waiting for things," Victoria said. "I've never really gotten used to it."

Don Alejandro took a sip from his cup. "And now there's this... I don't know what to call him. But Diego's right. Whatever he's up to, it's personal, nothing to do with what he says sent him here."

Victoria nodded. "And though I have no idea why, I'd say it's personal to you more than anything." She sighed. "It's just a feeling. Something about the way he reacted to you that first day just seemed..." She couldn't think of the right word.

"I don't know either. There's something almost familiar about him, maybe a resemblance to a father, an uncle, someone I've known, but the name... I can think of no Risendos that would have any reason to hold a grudge against me."

Sighing, Victoria looked out across the plaza. "Maybe he's just crazy after all."

"Or trying to make a name for himself and somehow figures attacking us will do it for him," Don Alejandro said. "He wouldn't be the first to try something like this." He shook his head slightly. "Zorro may defend us, but sometimes it seems he draws the ambitious as well. It's something I hadn't really considered before."

"A lot of people haven't. For a while I certainly didn't. The pueblo has come to depend on him too much at times."

"I know I did, until..." Don Alejandro slapped his gloves against the table. "Well, I learned better. There are battles the people should fight for themselves. Though now with an emissary of the king who has soldiers to do his bidding..." He shook his head and took a healthy swig from his cup. "It's not so easy to know what to do right now," he finished up.

Not knowing what to say, Victoria took a sip from her cup. It was strong and bitter, but at this hour of the morning satisfying. Looking at the brightening sky, Victoria sighed. She decided she might as well get started on the day's work. They'd soon know if Zorro had made any difference.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria managed to distract herself for sometime though there was some kind of activity going on over at the cuartel. But she knew that Don Alejandro was watching that from the porch, so there was little point in her watching also. However, she did go out to bring him some breakfast and juice. While she was standing there, she noticed the few people in the plaza moving towards the gate. Beyond them she could see the alcalde and Sgt Mendoza riding ahead of some others, though she couldn't yet identify them.

Don Alejandro stood and started walking in that direction, while Victoria followed him in curiosity. She soon saw the Emissary and some of his men, one leading a horse over which was draped the body of a man in uniform.

What was going on? That was no way to treat an injured man, and if it was worse, then surely it would be more appropriate to bring him by wagon.

She saw Padre Benitez approach the Emissary as he reached the church.

"Emissary, what happened?" he asked.

Risendo looked down from his seat at the man. Loudly, he said, "A hero has died, fighting for the King of Spain." Then turning to address De Soto, he called out, "Alcalde! See that Lieutenant Hidalgo's body is properly taken care of. I have some unfinished business." He dismounted and walked towards Don Alejandro.

Victoria watched as her father-in-law stiffened his back and put his hands on his hips ready to stare the Emissary down. "So, you're back," he said.

Although Victoria had no particular idea what the Emissary's response would be, the one he gave shocked her entirely. "Zorro killed my lieutenant."

"What?" Victoria exclaimed. Of all things, that did not seem a possibility.

Risendo ignored her as he kept his focus on Don Alejandro, as usual. "But only after making your house unliveable."

Don Alejandro kept his expression controlled as he asked, "Does that mean you're abandoning our hacienda?"

"I've… lost my taste for it," Risendo said. "Therefore the Church property will have to be sold to pay for the overdue taxes."

_Oh, no, we're back to this_ , Victoria thought.

"Just one moment," Don Alejandro said fiercely. "You've got the money from my bank accounts." He pointed at Risendo. " _You_ pay the taxes with that."

The emissary smirked at them. "But since we'll be investigating the sources of your frozen assets—which could take years—those funds aren't legally available to pay the taxes."

So it really was about punishing Don Alejandro or the de la Vegas for something, Victoria considered. But what? What could it be? Her thoughts were derailed when she heard a very familiar voice calling from above them.

"They are now, Emissary!"

Victoria looked up to see Zorro standing on the cuartel roof with his whip in one hand and a significant looking white sack in front of him.

As the emissary called for the guards, Zorro was swift to lash out with his whip using it to pick up and drop a bar into the cuartel gates, locking the lancers inside.

Zorro smiled as he coiled the whip up. "I personally released the de la Vega funds from the bank." He held up the sack. "Since they're now mine, allow me to pay the pueblo's back taxes." He tossed the sack down at the Emissary's feet.

"You can't pay the taxes with stolen money," the emissary said.

Victoria almost smiled as Padre Benitez asked, "Why not?"

But still, looking at the crowd around them, Victoria felt the need to make a point of her own. "But that money is really yours, Don Alejandro."

And he needed no prompting to use that fact. Looking around at the crowd, he said loudly, "It's money well spent to save the church."

Victoria was glad to hear the approving noises from the crowd, though she still felt resentment at how easily they had been swayed. She heard Zorro whistle for Toronado and watched as he gracefully jumped from the roof to his horse's back.

Riding up to Risendo, Zorro said, "You underestimate these good people, Amigo."

Through clenched teeth, the man said, "I'll have your head."

"Careful, Amigo," Zorro said. "You want my head, you get the rest of me." He began to ride away before facing and speaking to the crowd. "Remember who your friends are. For only by standing together will any of us be able to stand at all."

He rode away to cheers from the crowd. The emissary angrily picked up the money bag and stalked away to the alcalde's office without another word.

Don Alejandro stared after him before turning to Victoria. "Incredible. The man acts like a spoiled aristocrat. Still... there's... something else there peeking out."

"Yes," Victoria said. "And I don't believe what he said about Zorro killing his lieutenant. Something else must have happened."

Don Alejandro stared after him before turning to Victoria. "I know. I think we'd better see what he means by _unliveable_."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria followed Don Alejandro into the hacienda to find Felipe sweeping up broken glass. He stopped as they came in.

"Ah, my boy," Don Alejandro said, embracing him in a fatherly hug. "Are you well?"

Gripping the broom more firmly, Felipe nodded, while looking around at the mess.

"Did you see what happened?" Don Alejandro. "How the lieutenant was killed?"

Felipe nodded his head, then mimed a fight between Zorro and the Emissary, and Zorro knocking him out, finally signing that the alcalde shot at Zorro but hit the lieutenant instead, then blamed Zorro for it.

"How could he?" Victoria asked, though she knew the answer as well as anyone in the room. Fear and his instinct to blame Zorro for everything. "Should we... should the emissary be told what really happened?"

Don Alejandro sighed. "We should, but if we do, De Soto's a dead man and probably by a worse method than he faced before. I don't like the man, but... that..." He took a deep breath. "Zorro's been falsely blamed for things before, and he's better at escaping than De Soto. We can leave things for the moment. Only speak out if it's needed."

Victoria ground her teeth together in frustration. Of course, again. But Don Alejandro was right. And right now it wouldn't do for Felipe to draw attention to himself. Who knows? Risendo might blame him for not coming forward immediately and try to punish him as well as De Soto. It's not as if he were a sane man. She glanced at the fireplace. Diego was probably in the cave now and for the next couple of days most likely. He couldn't "return" from his trip any sooner.

She considered slipping down there when Maria came out of the kitchen angrily complaining of the mess left behind by Risendo and his men, and reluctantly Victoria went to deal with the damage. The cave would have to wait.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego looked through the peephole into the library. The room was quiet and empty at last. The hacienda had been a beehive of activity for much of the day. At least so it seemed once he had returned from the rather long ride. He longed to see Victoria again and to sleep with her in their own bed, but he couldn't risk that right now. Also exhaustion was starting to creep in, as he'd spent most of the night as well as the day awake.

He already had his bedroll set out on the floor as well, this one made long enough to accommodate his full length, not really a necessity, but it did make sleeping in the cave less unpleasant. Well, for him, Toronado had no problems sleeping as well as living there, he thought with a tired grin.

Stretching out, he tried ordering the chaos in his mind. He still didn't understand the Emissary or his true objectives and had learned very little in the aftermath of their fight and Hidalgo's death, except that he needed to get the necessary funds from the bank before Risendo once again reverted to trying to take the church property. However, he supposed he would learn soon enough. Now having the money for the war tax, the Emissary had ostensibly completed his mission to Los Angeles, and considering the need for the money, the king would not appreciate any unnecessary delays. So if the Emissary continued to remain (and there was the fact that he would not be able to remain for very long), well, whatever he then did should help narrow down the possibilities in the time they had left or at least help them to out wait him.

Just as he was starting to drop off, Diego was startled by the sound of someone walking down the stairs and opened his eyes, expecting to see Felipe, but instead was very pleased to see Victoria, dressed for bed with a heavy blanket draped around her shoulders. He jumped up to greet her with a kiss.

"You shouldn't be down here," he said, "but I am glad you're here."

Victoria leaned her head against him for a moment. "It's a ridiculous idea for us to sleep separately when you are really here, and I have no intention of being ridiculous."

"It will be more uncomfortable," Diego said.

"As if that matters to me," Victoria said. "I'm not some fine lady, even if I married you. And anyway, this looks more comfortable than the windmill we slept in together back..."

"When everything changed," Diego said. He would never forget that night. For them to finally no longer have the mask as a barrier between them had lightened his burdens as well as giving them true hope for their future. "I think we can do a little better than that night." He went over to the corner where he had a couple of more bed rolls as well as pillows stored and brought one of each over to set up next to his own.

Victoria smiled. "Much better since there's no need of a bench to keep us apart."

"Well, I do have a bench down here if you want me to set it up," he smiled wryly, "for old time's sake."

"No, I think this will do nicely."

"If you insist," Diego said as he settled in next to her.

Victoria eased over and put her head on his chest. After what seemed like a long silence she asked, "What now?"

"You mean about Risendo?"

"Yes."

Diego sighed. "I don't know. This man is... an enigma."

"It will be all right. You always figure out what to do."

"I hope you're right." He stroked her hair. "We better get some rest for whatever tomorrow holds."

Victoria raised her head and leaned in to kiss him. "We should get some rest... later."

Diego smiled. "You're not tired?"

"Oh," she kissed him again," I'm never that tired."

~Z~Z~Z~

Letter to Ynez Risendo from Gilberto Risendo

_Dear Mother,_

_I have had to abandon the de la Vegas' hacienda. There is an obstacle in our path that must be overcome: the bandit Zorro. I never believed that one man could prove so troublesome. But he has killed Hidalgo and poisoned my triumphs. If I am to succeed in our quest to bring about the utter ruin and humiliation of Alejandro de la Vega as well as his chosen heir, I must deal with the Fox. I shall tear him limb from limb and bring his head back to Madrid on a spike of Toledo steel. There is no alternative, and I shall not rest until this done!_

_Your son,_

_Gilberto_

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned before, this episode had a really compressed time line. Basically we have the night before the full day, and then we have Hidalgo's body coming into the pueblo in what looks to be the next morning. In any event, I rearranged some of what happened near the end of the episode as the timing seemed more than a bit off (not for the first time in the series). 
> 
> And it will be obvious that I had to shift dialogue about a bit, since Victoria would no longer be the go to person for asking about Zorro. And it was nice to give Señor Calvillo a little more to say in this final four parter.


	50. The Puzzle (Conundrum) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Risendo sets a trap for Zorro but captures a different prize instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Conundrum" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor.

Gilberto Risendo's Journal

_Hidalgo will be buried this morning. We fought so many battles together I still cannot understand how he could have been lost in this pitiful little pueblo, much less at the hands of a masked bandit. I begin to wonder if this place is cursed. More like Alejandro de la Vega has made a pact with the devil to protect himself from the consequences of his foul deeds. Nevertheless, I will make sure he will pay._

_While I have not yet determined what I shall do with it, before leaving that bloody house, I took a sample of the young de la Vega's writing, some poem he was composing in praise of his tavern wench wife, and the scratched out beginnings of a letter to some friend of his called Ernesto (I will inquire of the imbecilic sergeant about the identity of this man as it may prove useful). Not a large sample but definitely enough for me to manage a fair enough imitation to destroy my not so illustrious father's faith in the son he chose over the ones he threw away._

_But that will wait until after I've dealt with the masked devil. I need a proper trap this time. Rumor has it that he was quite enamored with Diego's wife once upon a time and still seems to take her safety seriously, though why he would bother to protect a woman who abandoned him for a weaker though respectable man defies reason. Perhaps it's part of his determination to appear the "hero" even as he hides behind a mask. It's not important. The key is to get Zorro to act as I need him to, and I believe the señora will do the trick. It's all about how you set the stage._

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria had decided to go into the pueblo in the morning to await the "return" of Diego that afternoon, though she would have preferred to have stayed with him until it was time, but with a mad Emissary still in residence, it would be better to be where she could keep an eye on what he was doing, especially as Don Alejandro had to ride out to check on some issues with the cattle, and considering he seemed to be the biggest focus of Risendo's attention, he would be far too conspicuous. Felipe had come along with her, as he was particularly good at avoiding notice, though Victoria suspected that it might also have something to do with seeing Teresa as well. She wasn't positive, but she thought she'd noticed an increasing amount of flirting between the two of them since Felipe's return from his trip with Diego's aunt and uncle. She certainly didn't object though she wondered how well this could work out long term with all the secrets Felipe was carrying for the family. But still at the moment it appeared not too serious and thus not something to worry about— yet.

However, those pleasant thoughts were soon driven out of her head when the Emissary, who she thought would be ensconced in the alcalde's office for much longer after the funeral of his aide came marching into the tavern along with half his men.

Without any preliminaries, the Emissary said, "Señora. I have heard some disturbing rumors and my men intend to search your tavern."

"What? That's ridiculous," Victoria exclaimed, watching as the guardsmen started moving through her tavern.

"Perhaps, Señora," the Emissary said with a smirk. "But I would be remiss to refuse to investigate especially since the de la Vegas seem at the center of so much of the... activity in this pueblo."

Victoria nearly bit her tongue to keep from saying that it was _his_ actions that had made them the center of attention the past week, though she'd say the alcalde had been even more so thrust there with the threats to execute him. She clenched her fists as she watched the search, knowing that there was no point in protesting, especially since that would most likely give the man whatever excuse he was looking for to cause more trouble. Of course, not saying anything wouldn't prevent it either, she thought, not if he had a specific idea in mind instead of just general chaos. She nervously went over all the hiding places in the tavern in her head relaxing slightly when she reassured herself that there was nothing they could find.

She glanced at Felipe who stood near the door. Happily he once again appeared to be beneath Risendo's notice, so if something bad happened, he should be able to run for help. Diego should still be in the cave for another hour or so before riding back to the pueblo.

The search continued for what felt like an eternity, and Victoria's anxiety rose again, wondering what was the Emissary's purpose and what game he was playing. What did he want with her or her tavern?

Finally, the Emissary came down the stairs carrying a book in his hand. "Señora de la Vega," he said. "I wonder if this book belongs to you."

She glanced at the title. It was a book in English, John Milton's _Paradise Lost_ , which she and Diego had been reading through together the last time they had stayed in the tavern together.

"Yes," she said, confused why he was asking.

"This happens to be a proscribed book because of its heretical content," Risendo said.

"What?"

"I had heard that you held unorthodox beliefs, since you challenged the natural order by trying to run for political office not that long ago, Señora," he continued.

"That's nonsense. Yes, I did but that hardly means..."

"With the trouble in the pueblo," Risendo raised his voice to drown out her protests, "I'm afraid I'll need to do my duty and take you before the Inquisitor General in Monterey."

"Over a book and an election that went nowhere?" Victoria exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, over that," he responded with a smug smile, gesturing to his men to take her into custody.

As Victoria squirmed in their grip, she saw Felipe disappearing out the front door and felt a small bit of relief. Diego would know what to do about this... madness.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego checked his pocket watch again. Time seemed to be passing incredibly slowly as he waited for the right time to make his way to the pueblo. He couldn't even concentrate properly on his experiments, as he wondered what the Emissary might be doing at the moment, and hating that Victoria was in the pueblo rather than at home. But still, she had been left unbothered since that first outburst, so she should be perfectly fine— despite her ability to get in trouble anywhere, anytime.

He tried turning his attention back to his current experiment when he heard footsteps running down the stairs to the cave and saw Felipe stumbling down the last ones, breathless from running.

"What is it, Felipe?"

Felipe started signing so hurriedly that Diego had a hard time translating it.

"Risendo is taking Victoria to Monterey? Why, in heaven's name?" Diego asked incredulously.

Taking in another deep breath, Felipe managed to sign the answer a little more clearly, though Diego could barely believe he understood it.

"To face the Inquisitor General?" Diego gritted his teeth as the anger surged through him. "By the time I finish with Risendo, he'll rue the day he ever set foot in Los Angeles." He slammed his hand on the table and turned toward the clothes rack. "Saddle Toronado."

~Z~Z~Z~

Zorro wasted no time riding for the road to Monterey, sure that whatever Risendo would do, he wasn't going to delay for long. Also, it would be easier to ambush them on the road than in the pueblo. And leave them less ability to ambush him as well.

It didn't take him long before he spotted four riders on the road. He recognized Victoria's dress first, there between two guardsmen, and Risendo lagging behind. Something wasn't right with this scene, but his anger overwhelmed him as he started riding after them. A bullet ricocheted off of a rock beside him, and he turned his head to see Risendo trying to reload.

Seeing red, he loosed his whip as he charged the man. With precision, he sent his whip lashing against the man's cheeks. Once, twice, thrice, a perfect Z cut into flesh.

"Lay a finger on the señora again, Señor, and you're a dead man," he said.

Hearing horses behind him, Zorro turned his head and saw more of Risendo's guardsmen appear over the top of the nearby ridge. He should have seen that coming but self recrimination would have to wait for later. Right now he needed to rescue Victoria. Turning Toronado, he started riding in that direction. He could hear shouting behind him, but that was not as important as the racing horses in front of him.

Catching up with one of the guardsmen, Zorro leapt onto the back of his horse and pushed the man from the saddle. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Toronado running off and down a nearby hillside, but his focus now was in reaching Victoria.

He reached the horse, quickly pulling off the rider, draping her over the saddle, slowing down almost to a stop. Yet in that moment he realized something was very wrong as the figure on the saddle twisted round, revealing not Victoria but a man in her clothes, pulling out a pistol. Instinctively, he punched the man in the face, knocking him down to the ground. Another horseman nearby took aim, but Zorro lashed out with his whip pulling the man off his horse.

Looking around, he saw more soldiers coming after him and took off on the guardsman's horse as he was still too separated from Toronado to make it back to him. He managed to make it down and around a cliff before anyone could reach him and hid safely out of their view. Unfortunately he could not say the same about Toronado. By the time he worked himself around to a place where he could observe without being seen, Toronado was being pulled along by multiple guardsmen, and he had no way of rescuing him at the moment.

He rode off, knowing the rescue would take planning and a far cooler head than he now possessed. His anger had led him into too many mistakes, and it was Toronado who was currently paying for them.

He rode back in the direction of the hacienda, planning to loose the guardsman's horse on the road that led back to the pueblo. He figured that if the horse was found, the most they would assume was that he had gone to check the hacienda. He had disappeared from so many places, he doubted they would search for any deeper meaning. In any event it was the safest way to get back to the cave, with a minimum of time on foot.

Moving quickly over the ground, Zorro managed to make his way to the cave safely. Felipe rushed in his direction when he saw him alone.

"Where's Toronado?" he signed.

Pulling his mask off in frustration, Diego stalked towards the clothing rack. "Captured," he bit out. "It _was_ a trap, but it wasn't the trap I thought it would be." He pulled at the buttons of his clothes as he angrily changed. "They didn't have Victoria with them. Just one of the guardsman dressed in some of her clothes." He almost knocked over the stand as he grabbed his pants. "And if I'd been paying an ounce of proper attention, I'd have noticed it wasn't what she was wearing this morning when she left. And I wouldn't have let Toronado get caught." He pushed his arms into his shirt. "And I still don't know where Victoria is. But I'm going to need to look as myself. And pretend I have no idea what's going on as I'm supposed to just be coming back." He clenched his fists. "Felipe, head up and get your horse saddled. I want you to head north 'looking' for me so that we don't have to waste any time for any apparent explanations before we start looking for Victoria."

Felipe nodded but then started signing quickly.

"Oh, my father's returned and gone to the pueblo to demand answers," Diego said. "Well, that will be useful, especially if the Emissary headed directly back to the pueblo after his plan failed."

Felipe mimed a fighting Toronado.

"Yes, if he hopes to hold him as a trap for Zorro, he won't have any choice but to take him straight back, but it will also take them time," Diego said, then after a pause when Felipe signed again. "No, I'm not sure where exactly to look, but we can try to figure out where they split off. Now, get going."

Felipe nodded before disappearing up the stairs.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego took the time to ride Esperanza around the long way to the road, on the hopes of picking up some sign of Risendo's soldiers and Victoria but saw nothing before he reached the road, and it wasn't too long before Felipe met him as he rode south.

"We might as well continue to the pueblo," Diego said. "We can learn what we can there and then try backtracking to see which way she was really taken."

Felipe nodded.

As they took the road past the hacienda, Diego was taken aback when he saw three riders approaching from the left. Even more so, when he recognized Victoria riding between Mendoza and one of Risendo's men.

"Victoria!" he called out and for the benefit of the others added. "Felipe told me what happened. We were heading to the pueblo to try to find answers."

"I'm fine!" Victoria said, urging her horse towards Diego.

Diego quickly dismounted and the moment she stopped, he was quick to help her down from her horse and pull her tightly to him. "Are you truly unharmed?" he asked.

"Completely," she said, then with a glance at Mendoza. "Just bored spending time playing _tres en raya_ with the sergeant."

"She won most of the time," Mendoza said good naturedly. "I'm sorry if you were worried, Don Diego. But the señora got to sit in the shade, while she was waiting. I looked after her as best I could."

"Gracias, Sergeant," Diego said with genuine gratitude as he loosened his grip a little on his wife. "I'm glad to hear that." He looked at the other soldier. "Though I was led to believe that something else entirely had happened to her."

Mendoza shook his head. "It was another trap for Zorro, and now that he's got Zorro's horse, the Emissary has no reason to keep Señora Victoria out of the way. That's all he meant to happen to her. And now that she's safely back with you, we can get back to the cuartel. I have a feeling the Emissary's going to need a lot of help there now."

"Yes, I can imagine," Diego said, through gritted teeth.

Looking awkwardly at them for a moment, Mendoza finally shrugged in an apologetic way before saying his goodbyes and turning his horse in the direction of the pueblo, followed by the silent guardsman.

Diego waited until the pair were out of earshot before turning back to Victoria.

"Now, was that really all that happened?"

Victoria nodded. "Essentially. After Risendo arrested me, I was taken out of town with an escort, then left in the custody of Mendoza and a couple of guardsmen at the site of Mendoza's old house. And yes, we just sat in the shade, playing games, until another of Risendo's guardsmen came and said I was free to go home and took one of the guards with him in order to help with the 'devil horse' they caught in their trap. Mendoza was quick enough to figure out it was Toronado. What happened there, Diego?"

Glancing around at the now empty landscape, Diego still spoke quietly, telling her what happened. Finishing up with "Zorro fell into the trap like an untutored school boy and now Toronado is paying the price."

Victoria hugged him. "Despite what some may think, Zorro isn't superhuman. He makes mistakes as any other man."

"But his mistakes can cost more dearly," Diego said grimly.

"And his triumphs can save so many," Victoria said.

There was a whistle from behind them, and Diego turned toward Felipe who pointed at Victoria and then his ear before nodding and waving towards Los Angeles and making the sign for Toronado.

"You're both right," Diego said. "We need to see what has been or is being done with Toronado and figure out a plan. The sooner the better."

"Yes," Victoria said. "And hopefully the sooner to rid ourselves of the Emissary and whatever schemes he's concocting." She put a hand on Diego's arm. "Do you think he might harm Toronado?"

"I'm not sure," he replied through gritted teeth. "I have little pity for any man who tries."

~Z~Z~Z~

Gilberto Risendo's Journal

_That cursed horse sounds as if it will break down the walls of the cuartel soon. Let it kick all it wants, it's not going to get loose unless I give the word. And that word will not be given. I intend to bring Zorro to his knees— and then cut them off._

_I can still feel the sting of his cuts on my cheek. Not deep enough to noticeably scar as long as I take care, but still enough to make me look weak to the populace. His intention I'm sure, but it makes me wonder if there is something more to it. Could he still have a romantic attachment to his tavern wench, despite her marrying another? Or is this a sign that they are still involved regardless of her marrying another? It would not be the first time, and it is something to consider exploiting._

_A pity that it is Alejandro's faith in Diego that I need to destroy, and it is Diego's handwriting that I will be copying. But now wait, I think I have a better idea of how to exploit this and sow discord among all three. Divide and conquer. Rather than the letter to the governor that was my first notion, I will make it to his apparently influential friend Don Ernesto Moraga, more scope for a conspiracy between cronies. Yes, a much better idea._

~Z~Z~Z~

Don Alejandro was standing at the bar talking to Señor Calvillo when Diego, Victoria, and Felipe walked in. The moment he saw them, he crossed the room, embracing his daughter-in-law.

"Victoria, I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you," he said. "Especially after Risendo and his men returned without you but with Zorro's horse." His gaze flickered toward Diego for a moment. "And I'm glad to see you made it home safe, Diego. I was afraid you might run into trouble on your ride back home."

"No," Diego said with a tinge of bitterness that he tried to conceal. "I seemed to have missed quite a bit, though Felipe did find me and fill me in. However," he forced a smile, "I did run into Victoria on the way to the pueblo, so I had very little time to worry before discovering it was all over, and she was well."

"Are you?" Don Alejandro asked.

"Yes, most certainly," Victoria said, as they went to sit down at a table where she explained what happened when she was taken from the tavern, finishing with, "so it seems I missed most of the excitement as well."

"Not the beginning," Don Alejandro said grimly. "The man gets more outrageous with every action."

"Surely he needs to return to Madrid soon," Victoria said. "He can't delay too much longer. Can he, Diego?"

"Considering how much the king needs money, I very much doubt it," Diego said. "Victoria's right. If we can be patient..."

"Patient?" Don Alejandro asked incredulously. "And let him do more damage? The man is a disgrace, a walking pestilence. He should be driven out."

The door to the tavern opened, and Risendo entered.

"Speak of the devil," Diego murmured.

Victoria stood up. "I think I'll check with Señor Calvillo about how business has gone today."

"Ah, Señora, don't let me drive you away. Please accept my apologies for any anxiety you may have felt today as part of my little charade," he said. "No harm to you was meant."

"I'm sure," she said, shortly, "but excuse me all the same, I'm afraid that I'm rather behind in dealing with my business." She moved off to the bar but still kept her attention on the group at the table. She felt both relief and resentment at how easily the man dismissed her once she was no longer of apparent use to him.

Risendo turned toward Diego and Don Alejandro. "I apologize to you both as well, both for using the señora as bait as well as my rather ill-considered seizure of your property. You see, this is my first imperial appointment, and in my eagerness to please His Majesty, I clearly overstepped my authority."

Diego stood up. "Forgiveness rather depends on whether such recklessness repeats itself. Now if you'll excuse me, I've had a rather trying journey today and would like to return home."

He looked at Felipe and nodded toward the door before crossing to Victoria. "Do you want to come home with me now?" he asked softly.

She glanced at the Emissary. "I think it would be better if I make sure the tavern is intact after my absence. I'll go home with your father." She smiled flirtatiously. "Besides I think you need some rest, and you'd hardly get any with me there."

"True," Diego said with his own smile and a kiss to her hand. "I'll see you later." He turned and with a last glare at Risendo, who was now sitting at the table with his father, headed out of the tavern.

Victoria moved closer to the men, using the excuse of wiping down a nearby table.

Risendo looked at the tavern door. "I can hardly blame him for being so hostile," he said in a conversational tone.

Victoria saw Don Alejandro's annoyed expression as he lifted his glass. "Neither can I." He drained the glass, sitting it down firmly before saying, "Adiós, Señor." He stood up and started to walking towards the door.

Victoria watched him, wondering if she should follow him. Was he planning on leaving entirely or just getting away from the Emissary? She was so focused on her father in law that she was startled when Risendo called to him, holding a paper in his hand.

Don Alejandro stopped, his back to Risendo. Victoria could see the tension in him as he spoke. "Talk to me, sir."

"This was on the floor, Señor," Risendo said, holding it out. "Does it belong to you?"

What was the man up to? Victoria wondered, doubt about the purpose of that paper filling her as she watched her father in law turn, patting his jacket pockets.

"I don't think so," he said. "But..." He took the paper and opened it. "Hmm, it's my son's handwriting, a letter to his friend Ernesto." His expression became stern as he read.

"Is something wrong?" Victoria asked, coming up to him.

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I don't know. This is supposedly a letter to young Ernesto saying Diego's grown impatient for his inheritance, wanting assistance in proving that I'm mentally incompetent, incapable of handling my own affairs. And..." He stopped with a glance at Victoria before turning his glare on Risendo.

Victoria took the letter from his hand and saw what Alejandro didn't want to say out loud, an intimation that he was unhappy being second in his wife's favors to a masked man, and wanting a way to get out of the marriage. She felt her anger rise at the blatant lies in this so-called letter. She barely heard Risendo's false shocked response.

_Liar! Monster! Forger!_ Her inner voice screamed. She wanted to slap the smug look off the man's face.

Instead she forced herself to calm down. She wouldn't give words to the charges of the letter. And if Risendo did, it would only prove that he had not found that paper but written it.

"This is ridiculous," she said, barely managing to speak. "Diego would never think something like this, much less write it down."

Don Alejandro smiled at her taking the letter back from her hand. "Of course, he wouldn't, Victoria, and he didn't."

The emissary seemed incredulous at Don Alejandro's disbelief. "Didn't you say that was your son's handwriting?"

"I said it _appears_ to be," Don Alejandro said with a nod. "But as you might know, the difference between reality and appearance..." He laughed. Victoria believed it was more at the transparent ploy than any real humor.

"This certainly seems real enough," Risendo said, in a tone of outrage.

Yes, Victoria thought. Outrage at his blatant forgery not being accepted. She turned away and let Don Alejandro do the speaking, as she still wanted to strike the man.

She listened as Don Alejandro said, "No, sir. I trust my life to my son. Perhaps you don't understand that since you don't have children, Señor. Tell me about your father. Did you love him?"

Victoria was curious, hoping that somehow, something would reveal what it was that Risendo really wanted from them.

But Risendo's reply only added to Victoria's confusion. "I never knew my father... until recently."

What did that mean? Was Risendo's father the inspiration for this vendetta? Victoria wondered. If so, then who was the man and what had he to do with Don Alejandro? An old friend, an old enemy? Who?

"That's unfortunate," Don Alejandro said firmly. "However, the bond between this father and his son is not so easily broken with a letter which is obviously a fake. Whoever forged this was very skilled, but not skilled enough to look into my son's heart. I'm going to show it to him. This is going to give him a good laugh like it did me. Emissary. Adiós." He turned to Victoria. "Shall we go home and let Diego in on the joke, Daughter?" he asked.

Of course, Father," Victoria said with a smile. She started for the door with Don Alejandro and cast a glance back over her shoulder at Risendo. "I think I've seen enough here for today."

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another episode where things seemed to happen far too quickly. Primarily, Gilberto's forged letter. Seriously, in order to get it done so quickly he'd have to be a world-class forger, and so considering the fact that he had been staying in the de la Vega hacienda and could have gotten a sample of Diego's (and even Alejandro's) handwriting then, I decided to have him take a sample of Diego's writing with him when he left, so he could get a head start on the forgery, rather than demand De Soto get one for him. 
> 
> I had also had a thought of Gilberto getting hold of some of Alejandro's old letters (the ones his wife would have kept) and him looking through them for signs of his perfidy, but thought that would make things more complicated than they already are and decided to stick with Diego. 
> 
> And it was a heavy challenge for me to figure out what changes to make to the forged letter. I wanted it to be something a bit different, but the final version escaped me until nearly the last minute, and even then it ended up being just minor details changed. Part of the problem is that I've really wanted to work in a married-to-Diego Victoria being suspected or even publicly accused of having an affair with Zorro, but I just couldn't make it work here. Maybe I'll write that story sometime. 
> 
> I did get slightly distracted by research when trying to determine what excuse Gilberto would use to take Victoria to the Inquisitor General in Monterey. I mean they didn't bother in the episode, and I almost went that route, but then I wondered what the Inquisition actually did do. Unfortunately, I didn't find a lot of specifics, other than it tended to be less bad than secular courts or legends allowed and dealt with matters of the church (and also censorship). To the point that sometimes a person would deliberately commit an act of blasphemy so that they could go in front of the Inquisition rather than a secular court. But in any event, the Inquisition was pretty defanged by the beginning of the 19th century and ended in 1834. So anyway, since it was all a trap, I decided on possession of a proscribed book and Victoria's running for public office as really petty reasons. 
> 
> Also, apparently in the movie version there was an added scene of Zorro going to the pueblo first (and being chased by De Soto and his lancers there) before finding the group on the road to Monterey, but I decided to keep with the broadcast version and have Zorro skip right to the chase. Frankly, this is one case where the added scene adds to the mystery of where exactly Victoria was during all of this. She wasn't in jail or the cuartel or with the men riding out (because of the double for the trap), and her whereabouts are just never brought up after it's over. 
> 
> The game Victoria mentions playing, tres en raya, is a Spanish name for tic tac toe or noughts and crosses. I don't know how old a name it is, but the game is an ancient one and an easy time killer though rather boring, since if the players both know what they're doing, it should end in a stalemate every single time. But since this is Mendoza, who while sweet and loyal isn't always the sharpest knife in the block, Victoria won more often than she tied.


	51. The Puzzle (Conundrum) Part 2

Zorro worked his way onto the roof, any sound he made drowned out by Toronado's angry kicking and fighting. Every sound made him more determined to free Toronado. It was simple enough to make his way through the unguarded skylight to the rafters above. Yet again, Zorro was astonished by how they'd forgotten this easy entrance. Risendo and De Soto stood below him oblivious to his presence.

"Is everything ready?" Risendo asked.

"The minute Zorro tries to breach the cuartel gate, he's a dead man," De Soto responded.

_No better time than the present_ , Zorro thought as he dropped down beside De Soto.

"Why use the gate?" he asked before punching De Soto and knocking him down to the floor.

Risendo started reaching for a drawer, but Zorro quickly had his sword pointed at the man's throat.

"Close the drawer, please. Slowly," Zorro said, holding his sword steady. He was not pressing the blade hard enough to draw blood but enough to convince Risendo that he would if so inclined.

Risendo did as he was told, though he said, "You're wasting your time. The minute you enter the yard, my men have orders to shoot that horse."

"If Toronado dies," Zorro said steadily, "you will join him." He jerked the tip of his saber towards the door. "Now, move."

Risendo turned slowly and walked toward the door. As they began to go through, Zorro grabbed his shoulder and put his blade to the man's throat as they moved outside. The men outside were all focused on the struggling horse.

Speaking loudly to get their attention, Zorro said, "First man to shoot will be responsible for the Emissary's death."

The men turned and aimed their weapons at him though seeing the Emissary they held off firing.

"You, the big corporal," Zorro said. "Untie the horse."

His concentration ahead of him watching as Toronado was released, he failed to notice what was happening behind him until the forgotten De Soto grabbed him around the neck, forcing him to let go of Risendo. De Soto tried to pull him back but to his surprise, Zorro didn't resist. Instead he stumbled back several steps, throwing De Soto off balance and causing him to loosen his grip just a bit. Still, it was all Zorro needed to elbow him in the rib cage. De Soto let go, and Zorro spun around to deliver a kick that connected with De Soto's chest, sending him flying over his desk.

During the one-sided struggle, Risendo took his chance and drew his sword while yelling at his men to look out for Toronado. One eye on Risendo and the other on his men, Zorro parried Risendo's thrust and moved around, punching a soldier who was aiming to fire at Toronado. He fell backward into two other soldiers. Risendo struck at him again, and Zorro continued fighting him before facing off against more of Risendo's men. It was a general melee, but at least with the soldiers attention on him, it was no longer on Toronado who was doing his part to keep things chaotic. He knocked down some more men before turning and tossing his saber onto the roof and climbing up after it.

All he needed to do now was get the cuartel gate opened so that Toronado could escape. Unfortunately, Risendo decided to follow him onto the roof. But he was just one man. Zorro faced him as he attacked. As they fought, Zorro just had time to realize that the gate to the cuartel had been opened.

He should have paid more attention to what the soldiers were doing, as he suddenly was hit by a shot in the arm that knocked him down. He rolled downwards to a stop near the roof's edge. Risendo jumped towards him, lifting his arm in preparation to a stab. Zorro kicked out, knocking Risendo backward and off the roof.

Spotting Toronado standing close to where he was and unable to wait to see what happened with Risendo, Zorro carefully climbed down from the roof onto Toronado's back, riding out through the cuartel gates, leaving the sounds of shots behind him.

Toronado ran hard until they were well out of sight of the pueblo, and Zorro held his seat firmly despite the pain in his arm. He took a moment to slow Toronado down and pulled a spare mask from his pocket and used it to wrap his wound as well as he could one-handed before urging Toronado back towards the cave.

~Z~Z~Z~

Don Alejandro had found Miguel wanting to speak with him as soon as they returned to the hacienda, so Victoria had gone on into the house. And once she was sure that Maria wasn't about and her husband wasn't visible, Victoria slipped down to the cave, unsurprised to see Zorro's clothes were gone from the rack. He certainly would not be waiting much longer to free Toronado, and she decided to wait here as Felipe was unlikely to leave the pueblo until after whatever plan Diego had put into place was carried out. She wanted to see for herself that all was well, as well as let him know about Risendo's false letter, though perhaps she would let Don Alejandro tell him the full story, as he found it amusing, while she found it infuriating. What was that man after? Why would he want Don Alejandro to think Diego wanted his money and out of his marriage? What was the purpose of it all?

Her thoughts were broken by sound of the cave door opening. She stood up to see Diego leaning heavily over Toronado's saddle. He dismounted clumsily, and it was then that she noticed the black silk wrapped around his right arm.

"Diego, what happened?" she exclaimed as she approached him.

Pulling his mask off, he said, "Just an unlucky shot, a graze really."

"I know what you consider a graze so I'll believe that when I see it," Victoria said, whirling around to pull out Diego's medical box and put it on the table, then turning back to see Diego trying to unbutton his shirt one handed.

"Here let me," she said, finishing the job as she practically pulled him over to a stool. The shirt hung open as she turned her attention to the wrapped arm. "Now, let's see how this looks."

"Victoria, it's nothing to worry about," Diego said, covering the bandage with his hand, though she could see him trying not to wince. "I can take care of it."

"I'm sure you could, but why struggle with it when I'm here to take care of you," Victoria said, checking to see that she had a cloth ready to cover the wound once the makeshift bandage was removed, as well as scissors for cutting the sleeve if necessary. "And the more you argue the longer this will take. You know that I'm not squeamish."

"Yes, I know," Diego said, moving his hand away, as Victoria worked the silk loose.

It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Nasty looking but it didn't seem to need stitches.

"If you insist," Diego said. "I need you to clean it, and then we'll wrap it."

"What about the pain?" Victoria asked.

"I'll be fine. I have some willow bark tea. I'll drink it afterwards."

"Would that really help?"

"For the moment, anything stronger would either put me to sleep or compromise my wits, and we need to keep those intact until after all this mess with Risendo is resolved."

"If you insist," Victoria muttered, before cleaning and bandaging the wound as carefully as possible, following Diego's instructions, and deliberately not looking at his face during the process. He was already in enough pain without having to hide it more simply because she was the one helping him.

She was just finishing tying off the bandage, when they heard a clattering on the stairs, as Felipe rushed in.

"What's happened?" Diego asked, as the boy stood catching his breath.

Almost frantically, Felipe made the signs for Risendo, fall, and dead.

"Dead?" Victoria asked.

"Are you sure, Felipe?" Diego spoke at almost the same time.

Felipe signed, "De Soto is. Body is in the jail. De Soto's wanting to celebrate. Party in the tavern. Talked to Señor Calvillo."

Victoria looked to Diego. "Does this mean it's over?"

"I... suppose so," Diego said. "Without the emissary to direct them, the royal guardsmen are more likely to want to fulfill their primary mission and get the money to the king. Only Lieutenant Hidalgo seemed to be involved in whatever other schemes that Risendo had." He crossed over to the clothes rack and took down his shirt. "In light of this, I think we'd all better go to the pueblo."

"But your arm," Victoria protested.

"Exactly," Diego replied, as he changed. "It's best if I'm seen apparently uninjured. And as it's your tavern, best we see that things don't get too rowdy." He looked at Felipe. "Does Father know yet?"

Felipe shook his head, pointing to Diego.

"All right," Diego said, not successfully hiding a wince. "Let's go tell him."

Victoria stopped him by touching his uninjured arm. "No, first, you drink the willow bark tea. Then we go speak to your father." At his look of protest, she added, "It will be easier for you to pretend to be well if you take something for the pain."

It took a few minutes to make and drink the mixture, and then they headed upstairs, only to see Don Alejandro entering the house.

"Diego, Victoria, I just heard the strangest news. The emissary is dead," Don Alejandro said.

"Yes, Felipe told us," Diego said pointing towards the young man. "It seems incredible that a simple fall from the cuartel roof could have killed him."

"Indeed," Don Alejandro said. "It seems so unbelievable. Not that I can say that I'm sorry about it. The man was vile. Has Victoria told you about the fake letter he tried to convince me was yours?"

Diego glanced at Victoria before saying, "No, it hadn't come up. What was it?"

"Some fool letter to your friend Ernesto, talking about how you wanted to prove me incompetent and take over the estate as well as not being happy about being married to a woman who'd been involved with Zorro. If he had tried, I don't think he could have come up with a more unbelievable forgery."

"That _is_ ridiculous," Diego said with a forced smile. After all, wanting to throttle a dead man was an exercise in futility.

"I wish I knew why the emissary did such a thing," Victoria said. "I suppose we will never find out now."

"No," Diego said, pondering all the questions that would now go unanswered. "And now I believe we should go to the pueblo and see what is going on now."

"Indeed we should," Don Alejandro said. "I want to be sure of what happened and what the man's men are doing."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego spent the carriage ride to the pueblo trying to hide how much his arm hurt and hoping that he could manage to make it through whatever time they spent there without any blood seeping through the bandages. In any event, he certainly would not be removing his coat until they were home again. He was still stunned that Risendo had died from a short fall from the roof. Never had he wanted to take a life in his cause, yet this was the fourth time he had been the cause, directly or indirectly, of a death, three from falls. Was he cursed? It all seemed so incredible, yet here he was.

As they entered the pueblo, Diego was rather taken aback by the sight of a crowd of merrymakers outside the brightly lit tavern. It seemed that the news of the emissary's death as well as De Soto's party had gotten around quickly. As he helped Victoria down from the carriage with his uninjured arm, Diego glanced at the cuartel. He could see two of the emissary's men standing guard. He wondered where the rest were. Not at the party he would wager.

He followed behind Victoria as they entered the tavern following a man playing the guitar. Victoria headed directly towards Señor Calvillo who was standing behind the bar near De Soto and Mendoza.

When Mendoza spotted Diego, he greeted him enthusiastically.

"Ah, welcome. What a fight, Don Diego!" He grabbed Diego's arm, and Diego had to hide the sudden searing pain. "Zorro was magnificent," he continued. "You should have been there."

He released Diego and mimed a sword fight.

Stepping back slightly, Diego said, "So I've heard, Sergeant."

Don Alejandro approached the bar. "Quite a party, eh?" he said to Señor Calvillo.

"Sí, and the alcalde is paying every centavo," he said with a glance at De Soto, who looked up.

"Yes, indeed, I am," De Soto said, wiping his brow with his handkerchief. "I think we all need to let off a little steam." He looked around at the crowd of dancers. "You all know how personally close I came to death."

Sergeant Mendoza spoke up. "Me, too. If it wouldn't have been for Zorro..."

"Sergeant," De Soto interrupted impatiently, "if it weren't for Zorro, we wouldn't have come so close to hanging in the first place."

"Oh, come on, Alcalde," Victoria said. "It's a celebration, _your_ celebration. Can't you bury the hatchet with Zorro just for one night?"

De Soto shoved his handkerchief into his sleeve. "You're quite right, Señora. This is a joyous occasion. May I have the honor of this dance?"

Victoria looked taken aback for a moment, but Diego was quick to intervene. "Pardon me, Alcalde, but my wife promised this dance to me." He smiled as he took Victoria's hand to lead her to dance.

"The Alcalde will bury the hatchet all right," Diego said.

"Yes, right into Zorro's head," Victoria said. "If he could find it."

"Which I doubt," Diego murmured as they turned in the dance. He could see Felipe dancing with Teresa, and his father with Señora Gonzalez. Even De Soto managed to find a partner. Diego couldn't remember the last time there had been such gaiety in the tavern. His surroundings proved to be a stark contrast to how he felt at the moment but he smiled as best he could and danced on.

The family did not stay too long. Victoria made their excuses once they'd spoken with enough people, and she was sure that Señor Calvillo had everything well in hand. Diego had started feigning a headache shortly after their dance, figuring it was the best ailment to use as a diversion from any other injuries.

Don Diego approached his father while Victoria was talking with Señor Calvillo.

"Father, Victoria and I will be leaving shortly," he said, raising a hand to his head. "Will you be coming with us or should we send the carriage back for you?"

He was surprised when Don Ricardo, one of Don Alejandro's old friends, piped up. "Nonsense, your hacienda's on the way to my own. I can give your father a ride back, and young Felipe, too," he said with a glance over to where Felipe was dancing again with Teresa. "No need for them to leave early, or put out your driver for a double trip."

Don Alejandro smiled. "Thank you, amigo. We've still got more stories to go, haven't we? And I'm sure Felipe's in no hurry to leave his company, eh, Diego?"

"Of course," Diego said. "As long as everything is settled. I wouldn't want to pull either of you away before you're ready."

He fought to keep the pain off his face when his father clapped him on the back. Perhaps they should have mentioned his injury before they left the hacienda. But, no, better that his father not know at the moment. Crossing over to Felipe, Diego told him that he and Victoria were leaving as well as Don Ricardo's offer to give him and Don Alejandro a ride home later. Felipe nodded and signed that he would leave with Don Alejandro.

At that moment, Victoria came up beside them. "I've said goodbye to your father," she said to Diego. "And I see you're staying as well, Felipe."

A large smile crept across his face, and he cast a glance back at Teresa.

Victoria knew full well that he would not be parted from the young lady so soon or so easily. "By all means, enjoy yourself."

Diego offered Victoria his arm as they made their way to the door. It was dark in the plaza, though the lights from the tavern shone out. As he helped Victoria into the carriage, Diego once again looked across at the cuartel. It was dark, though he could still see a couple of the men standing in front of the doors. And as he settled into his seat, he saw another carriage pulling up in front of the building. Possibly a late comer to the party, but why stop there instead of in front of the tavern. He winced as the pain in his arm sharpened, when the carriage jerked forward; he really needed to get home for another dose soon.

Victoria was looking at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you all right, Diego?"

Diego leaned back against the seat. "Well enough for the moment," he said. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to getting home to a good night's sleep."

"Me too," Victoria said, as she tried to hide a small yawn. "I still can't believe this is over."

"Neither can I," Diego said. He fixed his eyes on the mysterious carriage. The uncanny timing of its arrival only served to deepen his doubt about what was actually going on. _No_ , he thought, _neither can I_.

~Z~Z~Z~

Letter from Ynez Risendo to Severo Delgado (unmailed)

_Santa Barbara, California_

_My not so dear uncle,_

_Although I don't know if you will even still be alive to receive this, I cannot help but write to you from California on the eve of my final triumph against Don Alejandro de la Vega. You once told me to forget him and his sins against my family and to thank God for the blessing of young Gilberto. Ha. When has God ever blessed me with anything but death and despair? Any "blessings" I have received, I have taken for myself and are more the gifts of the devil if any such exists. I cannot believe that you were fool enough to believe the story I told you of how Gilberto came to be mine. You must have suspected the truth and turned a blind eye since there were no obvious repercussions to be seen, and we are of the same blood, though yours has always been watered down and weak._

_But now at last my years of work will pay off, and my sister's death will be avenged through Don Alejandro's own blood. A fitting end for him. One decades in the making. I am the slow poison that will kill him at last, but not before he knows exactly who has brought this hell to him and why._

_Gilberto has done his work, and now it is time for my own. And you can die knowing I have done all I have said I would._

_Ynez Risendo_

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Diego's thinking about the fact that this is the third time he's been responsible for a death from a fall (unlike the twice from the series), it's because in addition to Ramone's death at Devil's Fortress, in this AU Lamarca/Baquero from "The Reward" died by going over the tavern balcony after fighting with Diego instead of with the three generic guys as in the episode. And of course, the fourth death was Saragosa who fell on his own knife, which I suppose makes it technically a fall as well. Actually, this Zorro has a fairly low body count and greater feelings of guilt over that body count than other Zorros I have seen.


	52. The Final Revelation (The Discovery) Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final confrontation and revelations between Risendo and the de la Vegas. And the conclusion of this epic series rewrite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Discovery" was written by Robert L. McCullough and Philip John Taylor.
> 
> One slight warning, in dealing with the events in Spain in the time decades before the story opens back when Ynez was a midwife, there may be some sensitive issues brought up in relation to babies and mothers lost in child birth. I generally avoid this particular touch of realism, but unfortunately, it ended up being key to parts of the plot.

Gilberto Risendo's Journal

_My mother sleeps now, after looking after me all night. Once again she has saved me; this time from a fool who would have buried me alive. This act of stupidity will be his last as well as that of his even more stupid sergeant. And oh, it will be a most exquisitely shaped punishment. Either he accepts an easy death or runs like a coward and makes both himself and his sergeant suffer even more in the end. I can hardly wait to confront him with it, but I prefer to wait for the optimum time, as the fool has spent all night at the tavern—celebrating. Well, it will be his last celebration._

_I asked Mother again to tell me the story of my birth. I have heard it so many times, and yet it is still so hard to understand. And yet, after what he did to my aunt, the widow of his supposed best friend, I should not be surprised that he could be equally cruel to his legitimate offspring. Because of a misshapen leg, one that I grew out of so quickly, because of something so minor, within minutes of our births, to choose his younger twin over me, his true and proper heir, it's unbelievable. No, what is unbelievable is to think that he's managed to hide his dark and twisted soul from the world, so that no one sees him for what he truly is._

_How could the woman who gave birth to me countenance such a man? Yes, I know my mother said that she was unconscious and unaware of what was happening around her, that it was a miracle she survived the birth, so she could have been lied to, just as everyone else in his life. Or perhaps she was aware yet trapped by those bonds of matrimony. Or— perhaps she was as cold as her husband and would not or did not care if she ever learned the truth._

_Perhaps no one, save me and my mother either know or care about the truth. And now it is time that the de la Vegas both suffer. The father for denying me, the son for usurping my place. But in order to accomplish that, I must rid myself of that masked plague, Zorro._

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria insisted on taking the reins of the carriage as they drove to town. Diego understood why, but he still hated having to give in to the weakness, even though he knew the best way to continue to hide his wound was to do nothing that would aggravate it. Perhaps, living a dual life was finally starting to get to him. He was usually more patient than this. He had years of practice. Perhaps it was the mystery of why the Emissary had been causing such trouble in Los Angeles. Risendo had clearly had some kind of specific agenda that related to either Diego's father or the de la Vega family, but now that the man was dead, they might not ever find out why or what his ultimate purpose had been. However, if the man had not been alone in the schemes, there yet might be more repercussions to deal with.

As they entered the pueblo, Diego's eyes searched for signs of the current state of affairs. It seemed quiet, but that was only until the gig stopped in front of the tavern. He and Victoria had barely left the carriage, when he heard a commotion from the direction of the alcalde's office. Turning he saw, De Soto and Mendoza being shoved out the door by two royal guardsmen.

He could hear De Soto saying, "All right, all right. There's no need for this. I'm the alcalde here. Take your hands off me! Do you understand?"

Once released, De Soto shook himself off and straightened his jacket in an attempt to reassert some dignity (a gesture that Diego had seen many times before). Mendoza just looked stupefied as the guards left them, stumbling out into the street next to the alcalde.

"What's going on, alcalde?" Diego called out.

De Soto glared at him, while Mendoza blurted out, "Don Diego, the Emissary's alive."

"Alive?" Victoria exclaimed. "How?" She shot a hard look at the alcalde. "You said he was dead."

"He certainly seemed dead," De Soto muttered, a stunned look still on his face.

"Seemed?" Victoria sounded incredulous. "You didn't bother to actually make sure?"

"Well, now I wish I had," De Soto gritted out, his tone hinting at a double meaning. "Excuse me, Señora. What I need now is a drink." He marched past them towards the tavern.

"Me too," Sergeant Mendoza said, misery on his face.

Diego stopped him with a gentle touch on the arm. "What _has_ happened, Sergeant?"

Mendoza gulped, raising a hand to his throat. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "The Emissary has condemned us to death— tomorrow at sunset. And if one or both of us try to run, he's going to make it as bad as he can."

"That's horrible," Victoria said.

"Sí, it is," Mendoza said. "Please excuse me. I really need something now."

"Of course, whatever you want," Victoria said. "Free."

"Thank you," Mendoza said with only a hint of a smile before hurrying to the tavern.

Diego looked over at the alcalde's office where the guardsmen were now standing outside. For one moment, he contemplated trying to see Risendo, just for proof he was alive, but he had no plan and no desire to turn the man's attention towards him without one if it could be helped.

Victoria seemed to understand his impulse as she took his arm and gently pulled him in the direction of the tavern. "This is unbelievable," Victoria whispered. "I can't believe the alcalde made such a mistake."

"Well, he's always tended to believe what he wants to think is true rather than what actually is," Diego said.

"And he really wished the Emissary was dead or gone," Victoria said. "But even still you'd think he'd have made absolutely certain about the matter. Permanently, if need be."

Diego closed his eyes a moment, imagining De Soto holding a pillow over the Emissary's head just to be sure he wasn't breathing. Then he shook his head. De Soto tended to prefer the pistol or the sword, not that he expected that the Royal Guardsmen would stand by and let De Soto do either to the apparently dead body of their leader.

Entering the tavern, Diego looked around. De Soto was already sitting in a corner of the room with a bottle of wine and a glass in front of him. Mendoza was at the bar with Señor Calvillo, who caught Victoria's eye. Diego watched the silent communication between the two, as Señor Calvillo jerked his head slightly at Mendoza, and then made a subtle hand gesture that Diego knew was a question about payment or lack thereof, and Victoria nodded. Then he tilted his head in the direction of the alcalde, and Victoria sighed and then nodded with another gesture that Diego knew to mean there was a limit.

Looking around the overly quiet tavern, Diego could see among the civilians, several of the lancers looking the worse for wear, but none of the royal guardsman were present. Of course, they had not been mixing with the local populace at all since their arrival, even to taking their meals in the cuartel rather than the tavern. It was frustrating because it meant it was difficult to get a feel for them as individuals rather than simple extensions of their superior's will, and thus, hard to know how they would behave without his orders to follow.

Not that that concern mattered now, as the Emissary was alive to give them. But it might have helped to have an idea of what the men thought about their superior and his behavior. Especially since it appeared that the only confidante that Risendo had had was the now dead Lt. Hidalgo. Unfortunately, he felt that it was most likely they would continue to follow their superior's orders until or unless someone or something superseded them.

_And speak of the devil,_ he thought as one of the guardsmen came through the tavern door and headed to the bar. "Señor," he said to Señor Calvillo, "the Emissary wants you to send over your best breakfast as soon as possible."

"Of course," Señor Calvillo said.

The guardsman nodded and then turned to leave, but not before giving a suspicious look around the tavern, hand on the hilt of his sword.

Diego watched the man go. His curiosity was getting the better of him again. He wanted to see Risendo and get a feel for what more he might have planned beyond two executions. Walking to the bar, he said, "Why don't you allow me to take the tray to the Emissary?"

Victoria looked up at him. "Diego, is that really such a good idea?" she asked, her eyes flicking towards his injured arm. "I mean, the Emissary hardly has any warm feelings towards us at the moment."

"True," he conceded. "However, his return from the dead complicates an already difficult situation. I need to see if I can get some insight into what he is thinking or planning to do next."

Victoria looked unconvinced.

Diego took hold of the tray. "What better way to get on the inside than with a peace offering?"

"Very well," she relented. "But _I'll_ carry the tray," Victoria said, with a lift of her chin. " _You_ can open the doors for me."

~Z~Z~Z~

Risendo looked up with a contemptuous smirk as Victoria and Diego entered the office. "To what do I owe the honor of having the two of you deliver food here. Or is this a common occurrence?"

Diego clenched his jar for a moment, as Victoria put the full tray on the desk. What was it about the emissary that made him able to annoy him with little more than a look? He'd faced worse villains, yet this one...

"It's common enough," Victoria said. "I've done it for the alcaldes on occasion, just to be sure everything is in order. Now if you'll excuse me, I should return to the tavern." She looked back at Diego, with warning in her eyes before briskly heading to the door.

Risendo's condescending smile made Diego wish to punch him.

"I see that your lady has yet to truly give up tavern duties for housewifely concerns as yet."

"I think she combines them well enough," Diego said.

"If you say so, Don Diego," Risendo said with a shrug. "Is there anything else you want?"

"I merely wished to see how you were doing..." Diego began.

"After my having mistakenly or, to be more accurate, wishfully been declared dead?" Risendo interrupted.

"More like a near tragic mistake."

"Oh, there _will_ be tragedy," Risendo said. "Just not mine, and I hope you are not intending to plead for the lives of those two incompetents. You are lucky I do not punish the whole of the pueblo."

"I wouldn't dream of trying, Emissary," Diego said, _nor mentioning that your men were just as much to blame in believing you dead_. "You clearly have your mind made up, but I would ask you to consider the matter most carefully before acting."

"I always consider matters carefully," Risendo said. "It is not my fault if others do not consider them... or fail in the responsibilities they have assumed."

"And what of your responsibility to see that the king receives his war tax?" Diego asked in as neutral a tone as he could manage. He had no wish at the moment to aggravate the situation.

"Oh, he will receive his money," Risendo said. "My work is almost complete here."

"I am glad to hear of it," Diego said, "as well as seeing you are in health."

"I have survived worse," Risendo said, staring up at him.

"I'm sure you have," Diego said. There was a clear undercurrent to this conversation that he was missing, but he had no idea what Risendo was really thinking or planning, and he was unlikely to learn any more at the moment. Best to move on. "Please excuse me for taking up your time."

"Not at all," Risendo said with a crocodile's smile. "I always have time for the de la Vegas. You can tell your father as much."

Diego frowned. What was the man's meaning? He was indeed a conundrum. "I will."

He started to turn, but Risendo's voice stopped him.

"Don Diego, would you permit me an impertinent question?" the man asked.

"I can hardly stop you, Emissary," Diego replied.

"In that event, can you tell me what kind of lady your mother was?" Risendo asked abruptly.

Diego stared at him dumbly. Of all questions, this one seemed to come from nowhere. "I beg your pardon?"

Risendo leaned back. "While I have heard much of Don Alejandro de la Vega, I know very little of Doña Elena and am naturally a bit curious about the lady he made his wife." He shrugged slightly. "But then do you remember much of her at all?" Risendo pressed.

Gritting his teeth, wondering why the man would be asking such a question, Diego said, "I remember her quite well as she died when I was fifteen." And not being willing to prolong this conversation much further, he went on, "She was honest yet kind, determined yet compassionate, strong in spirit even when weak in body."

"Weak?" Risendo murmured as if to himself. "Perhaps that explains why you are her lone child."

Diego took a moment to be sure his temper was still under control. "I really couldn't say. And it doesn't make any difference. Now, I really must go."

"Of course," Risendo replied with false geniality. "Far be it from me to keep you from your business."

Diego left, suspicion sharp, yet no idea what it was that he needed to watch out for. While he knew little of Risendo, he had learned enough to know that if he was asking about his mother, it was for a specific reason. This would require a bit more reconnaissance, and he winced slightly as his arm twinged. His agility was not going to be up to par at the moment. Looking across the plaza, he saw Felipe standing at the edge of the tavern porch. Once he caught his eye, Felipe nodded toward the alcalde's office with a question gesture. Diego nodded slightly. There was a chance that Felipe would be better able to pick up some information. Risendo had overlooked him very much as he had Victoria, with the exception of his using her to try to trap Zorro and even there she was only considered a pawn not an opponent. No, his focus had always seemed to be on his father and to a lesser extent himself, and he still didn't know why.

Victoria was waiting for him when he reached the tavern porch, and they walked over to the corner where they could talk with greater privacy.

"Well?" she asked.

"I don't know," Diego said. "Obviously, we didn't speak long. And it seems as if he's planning to depart soon, though unclear if it's simply to carry out the execution of the alcalde and Mendoza himself or for some other reason. And..." He frowned.

"What?"

"He asked about my mother," Diego said.

"Doña Elena?" Victoria seemed as taken aback as he had been. "But why?"

"I don't know," Diego said. "Unless it had something to do with his interest in my family, but then I don't understand what that can be."

"I've been trying to figure this out as well. Maybe he's the relative of some old enemy of your father's?"

"It could be, but it's clear that my father has no idea of any such thing, and even then we still don't know exactly what he wants."

"Perhaps even he doesn't know," Victoria said.

Diego looked over at the alcalde's office, where he could see Felipe disappearing around the corner. "You could be right. He's hardly been consistent in his behavior."

"Which may bring a little hope to Mendoza," Victoria said.

"I doubt it," Diego said. "If nothing else, his bloodthirstiness seems to be increasing."

Victoria glanced at his arm. "I don't think we'll learn much more here. We should go home. You look like... your headache is returning."

Diego sighed. It was true that the longer he stayed in the pueblo, the more likely that something would happen to show that his arm was injured. He'd managed the night before mainly because everyone was too busy celebrating to pay much attention. And he might need to be ready to fight soon. If for no other reason than to save the alcalde and Mendoza.

~Z~Z~Z~

Letter to Ynez Risendo from Graciela del Castillo

_7 May 17--_

_Dear Ynez,_

_I hardly know how to write you. It has been hard since my beloved Rafael passed away as he did in the King's service, yet though I miss him with every breath, God has been merciful to me and granted me a boon to fill my empty life._

_I am expecting a child and wish so much for you to be with me in my time, to help me through. I know of no one better to help me. You will come, will you not? I do not think I can do this without you._

_Your loving sister,_

_Graciela._

~Z~Z~Z~

Down in the cave, Diego winced slightly as he poured the powder into the small funnel, for the last of the smoke bombs. It was unfortunate that he'd let his stores get low, but he was going to need to be prepared for whatever tomorrow might bring. As he set down the container, he saw Victoria placing a small tray on the table. She lifted up a small glass.

"It's time for your medicine," she said. "Also, I have some more beef broth. My mother always said it was the best thing after blood loss."

"I'm fine, really, Victoria," Diego said.

"And you'll be even better once you've drunk these," she said.

Diego took the willow bark tincture and swallowed it in one gulp, grimacing at the bitter taste. Setting the glass down, he said, "You know, I used to fear that you would prefer the myth to the man. Now I almost wish you still saw the myth at times."

Victoria leaned over to kiss his forehead, running one hand through his hair. "No, you don't. Besides, I still see Zorro the myth—in public. It's only in private that I see him as the man he is. The man I love."

Diego took her other hand in his and kissed the palm. "And I am grateful for that," he said. "Very. It's just that..."

"You hate it when an injury gets in your way."

Diego closed his eyes for a moment. "And even more I wish I understood why I'm feeling such anger. I've faced evil men before, and never has my judgment been so distorted by emotion. His malice or my own."

"Oh, Diego," Victoria said, "you are anything but malicious. Angry, yes. And anger I certainly understand."

"With _your_ gentle temper?" Diego teased with a slight smile.

"And my soft voice," Victoria responded. She leaned in to give him a brief kiss, which might have been longer if they hadn't heard footsteps on the stairs.

Looking up, Diego saw Felipe as he came in. "Have you learned anything?" he asked.

Felipe nodded then raised his hands as if he were puzzled.

"What is it?" Diego asked.

Carefully, Felipe signed out that it was a woman who'd revived the Emissary. He'd read the lips of a couple of guardsmen talking about her. One of the guards called her a witch while another told him to be more respectful of the Emissary's mother.

"His mother?" Victoria exclaimed.

Felipe nodded but then signed that she was keeping to the alcalde's quarters, so no one outside the cuartel had seen her or heard about her.

"Well, that tells us a little more about what happened," Diego said. "But you're right that it doesn't really help us much."

"Not unless the Emissary's mother has had something to do with all this," Victoria said spreading her arms out.

Felipe looked to Diego curiously. "We've thought that perhaps Risendo has a particular reason to go after the de la Vegas. Vengeance for some perceived wrong, possibly."

Felipe pointed to Diego and signed Z. Diego shook his head. "I hardly think it's either that he suspects I'm Zorro or is trying to get to Zorro through the family. It's clear he wants Zorro, but that didn't seem to get personal until after his lieutenant was killed. No, I suspect it's more to do with my father, but what? He certainly doesn't recognize Risendo's name or his appearance."

"Perhaps he would recognize Risendo's mother," Victoria said.

Felipe mimed someone hiding behind a curtain.

"That could be why," Diego said. "Or, she could just be tired from her journey and finding out that her son had been mistakenly declared dead." He looked back at his work table. "I think for now what we need to do is finish our preparations."

"What do you think is going to happen?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know what tomorrow holds," Diego said flatly. "But I'm not going to let Mendoza or the alcalde die," Diego turned his focus back to preparing the last of the smoke bombs, "least of all at the hands of madman."

~Z~Z~Z~

They continued to work in the cave for hours, not sure what it was for which they were preparing, only that they had to be as ready as they could foe anything. If nothing else, Risendo had certainly been consistent in being unpredictable.

At length, Victoria persuaded Diego that they should go upstairs in anticipation of dinner. He resisted but she assured him had really done all he could and that he it was in everyone's best interest for him to be fed and rested. "Besides," she said, "you'll want to be ready to ready to greet your father right away when he gets back, if he isn't home already."

Together, they went upstairs and had no sooner taken a seat on the sofa when Diego's father entered the hacienda.

"Diego, do you know what's been happening?" Alejandro asked.

"Do you mean about the Emissary not being dead and his plans for the alcalde and Mendoza?" Diego said. "Then yes, we've heard."

"What is wrong with that man?" Don Alejandro said. "You'd think he'd be grateful enough to be alive."

"It seems he is more resentful of the mistake than grateful for his survival," Diego said. "And there's something that's been troubling me about him."

"What, Son?"

"I've been wondering if his... interest in our family is something more than taking a dislike to us when he arrived."

As his father furrowed his brow, Victoria added, "Yes, I had wondered too. There was something in the way he watched you. And that letter... well, it seemed like it was meant to wound you specifically."

Don Alejandro inclined his head thoughtfully. "I have thought of the possibility. However, after the way he targeted De Soto the moment he arrived, it could merely be his way of dealing with potential resistance. First take out the leader, then the family that was the first to stand up to him. Although... at times it almost seemed as if there were something familiar about him..." He paused and then shook his head. "No, I doubt he's related to any old enemy of mine. It's more likely a case of meeting one too many men like him, ones who once they taste power, use it to try to crush others. Just a mad beast out for what harm he can cause, and we're going to have to be willing to deal with him by whatever methods we can."

"Don't worry, Father," Victoria said. "We are not going to sit idly by while Sgt. Mendoza is in danger."

"Or even the alcalde," Don Alejandro said. "However, richly he may deserve it."

"No, we must save the alcalde as well. He may be a tyrant himself but he's _our_ tyrant," Diego said with an amused grin, "and at least he's one we know."

"I wish we knew what the Emissary is planning," Don Alejandro said frustratedly.

"But we don't," Diego replied. "That's the way this has all been from the start. We may not know what to expect or what exactly is going to happen but we do know what we _can't_ let happen. The only thing we can do now is get some dinner and think through all the possibilities."

"Indeed," Victoria said as she took Diego's arm and followed him to the dining room. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

~Z~Z~Z~

Having nothing better to do at the moment, Victoria was wiping down the glasses at the bar, while listening to De Soto talk about his potential escape plans. Not the brightest thing he'd ever done, Victoria thought.

"But with a good horse," he said, "I could be out of California in two days. There's a territory east of here that no civilized man has ever set foot in."

"And maybe with good reason," Don Alejandro said. "Be careful, Alcalde."

Mendoza spoke up, his voice slightly squeaking. "Alcalde, if you escape, then I am left here alone. Who knows what the emissary might do to me? We're responsible for each other."

"Then come with me, Sergeant," De Soto said. "It's not like you have any kind of life here." De Soto stared down at his drink for a moment. "There was never any kind of life here," he said grimly. "It's better to take our chances east."

"Risendo will not rest until he found us," Mendoza insisted. "I prefer a quick bullet through the heart than to boil in oil like a... beef empanada."

"More like a chicken empanada, eh, Sergeant?" De Soto retorted contemptuously.

Don Alejandro was quick to speak, though his voice was quiet. "That's not nice, Alcalde. I like the way Sergeant Mendoza is philosophizing about this whole thing."

De Soto shook his head. "Risendo... What a diabolical fiend. Imagine, allowing us to wander around free on our last day. Letting us savor everything we're about to lose forever." He turned to Mendoza. "Come with me, stay here, do whatever you want, Sergeant but _I_ have no intention of not seeing the sunrise tomorrow," he growled.

There really was nothing to say to that. And even still, Victoria was distracted when the tavern door opened, and two royal guardsmen walked in. They went directly to one of the tavern posts and nailed up a piece of paper.

"What now?" Victoria asked. As if they needed anything more from Risendo. She moved around the bar to go look at the sign, followed by Don Alejandro, who read the notice aloud.

"'Zorro... a truce. Meet at Diablo Canyon.'" He glanced over at her. "Do you believe him, Victoria?"

Of course, she didn't believe him, and she would certainly hope that Di— Zorro wouldn't believe him either. She watched as Don Alejandro left the tavern. They had already decided that if anything important happened that Don Alejandro would be the one to inform Diego, unless it looked like there was any immediate danger to Victoria. She wasn't overly fond of the plan, but she agreed. Sometimes caution was really justified.

~Z~Z~Z~

Even though it had been his plan, Diego had not been entirely happy with sending his father and Victoria into the pueblo while he stayed behind. However, the one advantage it had was that it would give him an opportunity to test out his arm while the two people who'd be most likely to protest his practicing were away. If he had to fight, he needed to know how weak his arm would be. It was fortunate that he had become an ambidextrous fighter, if worse came to worst.

The hacienda was empty at the moment, so he and Felipe were practicing in the courtyard, as they would have greater space. As he fenced with Felipe, Diego found it impossible to wield his sword in his right hand. He used his left to support his wrist as he blocked Felipe's strikes, only to have to drop the sword in the end.

In frustration, Diego sliced the top off a nearby plant before throwing his sword to the ground. Grabbing his sore arm, he said, "This arm is practically useless. It's nowhere near healed." Sighing, he looked back at his friend. "I'm sorry, Felipe. My anger distorts my judgement. Why do I harbor such animosity toward Risendo?"

Felipe reached out to Diego. Then stabbed the air before touching his forehead with his other hand.

Reading Felipe's signs, Diego said, "Well, the man is evil, no question. So poisoned by malice there's none of the true man left." Or was that just his own anger speaking?

Felipe touched his arm, pointing outward. Diego could hear hoof beats coming towards the hacienda.

"Hide the swords," Diego commanded.

As Felipe hid the weapons behind one of the trees, Diego, noticing a stain on his sleeve, pulled on his jacket. A moment later, Don Alejandro rode Dulcinea into the courtyard.

"Diego! The strangest thing has happened," he said as he dismounted. "Risendo has offered Zorro a truce. He wants to meet him in Diablo Canyon at noon."

"Strange indeed," Diego said. "I wonder what Zorro would find if he went."

"A trap, obviously," Don Alejandro said. "And why should _he_ go to that?"

"To find out what it is that Risendo is truly after," Diego said. "The man has been a mystery from the beginning."

"A mystery not worth the solving," Don Alejandro said. "Y—he should not bother with it."

"I think that's for Zorro himself to decide," Diego said with a wry smile.

Don Alejandro shook his head in resignation. "I suppose so. But Zorro would do well to be very cautious as Risendo's already fooled him once."

Diego grimaced. "Yes, I recall. Don't worry. Zorro has no intention of being fooled again."

"Good," Don Alejandro said. "Now, I'll get out of your way for the moment. I have some things to do before this afternoon." He smiled as he walked past them to enter the house.

Diego and Felipe wasted no time disappearing down into the cave. Diego hung up his jacket and removed his shirt. "We're going to need to rebandage this arm before I go out."

Once the bandage was undone and the wound cleaned again, Diego saw Felipe's expression as he began to rewrap his arm.

"I know," Diego said. "It's very bad. I'll do my very best to avoid a sword fight." Felipe rolled his eyes skeptically. Diego ignored him. "Risendo is like..." Diego searched for the right words. "Is like... a Gordian knot. An impenetrable riddle. You remember how Alexander the Great solved its mystery?"

Felipe made a downward slicing motion.

"Yes," Diego said, "and let us hope that it is Zorro that manages to make the slice."

~Z~Z~Z~

Bandage in place, Diego quickly finished changing and was riding out in barely enough time to head to the canyon. He approached it cautiously, looking for signs of Risendo's men. There seemed to be only a single set of tracks heading through the canyon. He looked carefully around. No, no sign of anyone else. So this time it seemed that Risendo was on his own for whatever it was he had planned.

Now where was the man? He turned Toronado around, meaning to go around and make his way up to the top of the canyon.

"Not so fast, Zorro." Risendo's voice came from above him.

He looked up quickly, annoyance at his failure to spot the man rising quickly. He was at a disadvantage here.

Risendo was smiling smugly. "I find it amusing you're so prompt for your own death," he said.

"Your message promised a truce," Zorro called out angrily, while looking around. He'd need to get out of here.

Risendo pulled a pistol from his waistband. "I lied."

"I somehow had a feeling you would."

Just when it seemed Risendo was going to fire at Zorro, he moved the pistol to the right and shot at the ground not far from where Toronado stood. Horrified, Zorro saw the shot ignite a trail of gunpowder. Now, he absolutely had to get out of here. Leaning over Toronado, he urged him forward, hoping to get clear before that flame reached its destination.

Swift as they were, they didn't make it. An explosion knocked him off Toronado's back and threw him into the side of the canyon. He bounced hard off the rock wall and fell to the ground. Dazed and choking against the smoke and dust, Zorro struggled to get to his feet. He was coherent enough to know that even though he had survived the explosion, the danger was far from over. As re regained his footing, he felt a number of small rocks raining down on him but before he could find Toronado again, it felt as if the entire canyon wall came crashing down, burying him in a pile of rocks.

~to be continued~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time frame like the other episodes was pretty short, and yet the events were actually pretty simple at the beginning: the recap of Ynez's lies about Alejandro's reaction to his birth, and Gilberto's condemnation of De Soto and Mendoza. Then we time skip to the next day where all the action takes place, and while I could mostly handle things once we hit the action part of the episode, I had a hard time figuring out what to do with the beginning quieter section. Initially I planned for Victoria and Diego to remain at the hacienda, and Don Alejandro and Felipe to find out about Gilberto's survival and the impending executions and for Felipe to tell Diego. But that didn't feel right. And then once I sent the pair to town, there was a question of what they should do there. 
> 
> I did want an additional meeting with Gilberto but then had to consider what should it encompass. I reflected that there had been only a bare mention of their mother throughout the series. And while Gilberto had Ynez as his surrogate mother, I thought he might wonder about the one he didn't have, so I decided to work in some curiosity about her. And my personal head canon to resolve the contradiction of Diego's mother being called "Felicidad" in "The Unhappy Medium" and "Elena" in "Arrival" is that her name was actually Elena Felicidad and that Alejandro called her Felicidad while her father (and others) called her Elena. 
> 
> And I also had to go back and check my personal timeline for when I had Diego's mother dying (and then I caught several critical omissions and one large contradiction that I made in regards to Don Alejandro's military service in an earlier story), and for some reason I set it when Diego was 15, though I can't remember the reason now. Perhaps so that he does have very definite memories of his mother, perhaps for some other reason. Also I do remember deciding against her dying in childbirth because it's been done so often, so instead chose for her to die of a cancer (which I think has also been done, though I think that may be something I've seen in Disney Zorro stories rather than New World ones, but at the moment I can't remember any particular example). 
> 
> And I deliberately cut the line between Felipe and Diego in the courtyard where after telling Felipe to hide the swords he says, "I don't think anyone saw Zorro get hit but there's no point in testing our luck" because honestly that one didn't make sense as he's not dressed as Zorro, and any suspicions would be focused on Diego's practicing sword fighting rather than anything else.


	53. The Final Revelation (The Discovery) Part 2

"There I was," Señor Calvillo was saying to Sergeant Mendoza, "at the wall, the firing squad in front of me. I refused the blindfold, but in the end, I closed my eyes as they got ready to fire. Then there was a shot, but I felt nothing, so looked around, and what did I see but the bandit they called Old Coyote with the driver who had accused me of robbing him. The one who was the true criminal. He even returned our pay."

"Old Coyote sounds a lot like Zorro," Mendoza said.

"Sí, he was," Señor Calvillo replied. "He too was always masked, but then what smart bandit isn't. Maybe a bit more of a trickster (oh, the pranks I could tell you about), and he preferred gray to black, but still he was a good man at heart, whoever he was. And always there when he was needed." He paused. "So very much like Zorro."

Mendoza nodded his head. "Did I ever tell you how Zorro saved me from the wicked Colonel Palomarez?"

There was a loud snort from the corner where De Soto was sitting, brooding over an empty bottle of wine. Victoria picked up a tray from the bar and took it back to the kitchen. While she too wasn't in the frame of mind to listen to any more stories of "how I was saved from almost certain death by a masked man," she was more fatigued by De Soto's brooding and glares from the corner of the room, which was beginning to make her wonder just what he was contemplating. He was not one to take comfort in stories of Zorro rescuing men from death. Not when his own life was on the line, as they'd already witnessed. Would he simply run or had he some other plan in mind?

But more importantly what plan did the emissary have with this so-called truce he offered? It could only be a trap of some kind. And surely Diego would be well aware of it. He wouldn't just walk into it. Would he?

He might. If he thought he could escape it, he certainly might. But with an injured arm, he wouldn't be able to do it as easily as he might expect. And it wasn't as if Don Alejandro were fully aware of how badly Diego had been injured. They had somehow not mentioned it to him in all the excitement. But then it would probably not make much of a difference either way. Diego would do what he would. There was a stubbornness in the entire family. Herself included, she thought wryly.

Much as she wanted to rush to the hacienda or Devil's Canyon, Victoria knew she needed to remain in the pueblo for now. There was no way to know what would be happening in the next few hours but she was the only one there. Despite her impatience, she knew that she needed to remain in the pueblo to be ready to act, even if she had no idea what she was going to do.

~Z~Z~Z~

Air. He needed air, he thought as he regained his senses. The dirt was nearly choking him. Zorro reached out, twisting around his head until his nose was clear enough for a relatively clean breath. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear them of dirt, seeing flashes of light. Sunlight meant more air, even if it was filled with dust and the rocks pressing around him made it difficult to draw in a full breath. He tried moving. Not much luck. He was pretty effectively trapped, but at least nothing felt broken, as far as he could tell. How to get free?

Reaching out with his right hand, he felt nothing but air. Unfortunately, the lower half of his arm was still trapped so he couldn't get any purchase.

He tried shifting his weight but the rocks seemed almost to get heavier with the effort, and then he heard Toronado's neigh and felt a sudden thumping on the rocks above him. He felt something shift slightly above him. Then another hit and a bigger shift, as some of the rocks rolled off the pile. Zorro pushed up against the weight above him. Nothing.

Then he heard something. A thumping and scraping on the rocks above him. Toronado. It could only be Toronado. Bless that horse.

_Come on, boy,_ he thought, not sure he could speak without swallowing more dirt. There was more pawing. He could feel the rocks starting to shift and fall. As the weight above him lessened, he pushed up. This time the rocks fell away enough so that he could climb out.

"Thank you, Toronado," Zorro muttered as he managed to stand up. He leaned against Toronado's side for a moment, taking in deep breaths of air. But a feeling of urgency overtook him. That trap for Zorro couldn't have been all of Risendo's plan. There had to be something more. He didn't know why, but he needed to get home and get home quickly.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria walked around the side of the tavern, needing some fresh air away from the smells of the kitchen and wanting a change of scene. She noticed a carriage had been pulled in front of the alcalde's office. Did it belong to the mysterious Señora Risendo? Was she going to be able to see what the lady looked like at last? Not that she expected it to help, unless by some massive coincidence she had seen the lady before, and that was highly improbable.

A woman exited the office and climbed into the carriage by herself before immediately leaving.

"No, that doesn't help at all," Victoria muttered to herself. All she saw was an old woman in fine clothes. She looked grim and determined, but that was natural after finding her son had been declared dead when he wasn't or if she was as wicked as her son, she'd have reason to look displeased as well. She wondered where the woman was going. To her son? Wherever he might be at the moment. She was tempted to follow, but her horse wasn't ready, and she wasn't sure whether it would be worth the risk.

She leaned against the wall. She still wanted to return to the hacienda and be sure that Diego hadn't done anything foolish. However, she wasn't sure that leaving the pueblo was the right decision at least not yet. She didn't know how long she leaned there with her eyes closed, but when she opened them in preparation to returning to the tavern, a flash of movement in the distance caught her eye. Taking a longer look, she recognized the fleeing figure of the alcalde, too far out for her to call to him. Coward was the word that came to mind.

That was it. _Now_ she had reason enough to go home, but not before she let Mendoza know that his so-called commander had left him to face death alone.

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego quickly did up the buttons on his shirt. He'd headed directly back to the hacienda, especially when he noticed that the Emissary's trail was heading in that direction. But with Risendo believing he'd killed Zorro, it would be far better for him to appear without the mask than with it.

Dashing over to the peephole, Diego checked that all was clear before rushing up the steps and into the library. The first thing he heard was the clash of swords then his father's voice in pain, then he spotted Felipe tied up near the door. When Felipe saw him, he gestured frantically toward the door. Diego headed out only to see Risendo poised to stab Don Alejandro who was on his knees on the ground.

"Father!" he shouted.

"Diego!" his father called, tossing his sword to Diego who caught it and immediately used it to block Risendo's strike against his father.

Diego circled round to put himself between Risendo and his father.

"Can you stand?" he asked his father.

"I think so," Don Alejandro said breathing heavily.

"Go and untie Felipe," Diego said.

"But..." his father started.

There was no time for argument. "Do it!" he insisted. This would be difficult enough without his father in the way. Felipe would be able to take care of his wounds.

His father managed to get to his feet and pass by Risendo who seemed willing enough to let him go for the moment.

Once his father was safely inside, Risendo suddenly grinned and said, "I see. I see."

"You see what?" Diego bit out between his teeth before going on the offensive, attacking swiftly and pushing him back. They ended up locking swords at the hilts.

"You cannot let your father witness your skill with a sword because he doesn't know your secret," Risendo said. Without warning he punched Diego's wounded arm. "You are Zorro!"

Diego stumbled back grabbing his arm in pain, and realizing that one of his worst nightmares was coming true.

"Zorro received a musket wound in the plaza when he rescued Toronado," Risendo said.

Diego saw blood start to seep through the bandage on his arm. This was not good.

"You had thought no one had noticed," Risendo said. He lunged forward. "I've found you out, Diego!"

Diego braced his right arm with his left as he fought off Risendo's attacks.

"I left Zorro under a pile of rocks in Diablo Canyon," he said, as he struck. "And now you stink of cordite from the explosion." His sword locked with Diego's and he grabbed and squeezed Diego's wounded arm again, holding on to him. "Zorro and Diego are one and the same, aren't they? The enigma's solved. The secret is out!" He pushed Diego back before lunging at him, wildly slashing at Diego's head.

Diego ducked out of the way, and Risendo's sword hit the wall. Kicking out, Diego pushed his heel into Risendo's chest as hard as he could. Risendo staggered back several feet but managed to remain standing. Of all Diego's nightmares, this was the worst, an enemy uncovering the secret he had worked so hard to conceal and now that nightmare was coming true before his eyes.

His arm was racked with pain but there was no time to think of that. He raised his sword. "It will never leave this garden," Diego said through clenched teeth, knowing that he was fighting for more than his life now. And with that thought, he gave up trying to fight right-handed and shifted the sword to his left. There was no point in hiding the full range of his skills any more. He circled with Risendo, looking for his opening.

From behind, he heard his father call out. "Out of the way, Diego."

"No, Father," Diego said, anger burning through him. So many secrets in danger. _He_ had to be the one to deal with it. "He's mine." He lunged in for the attack.

The swords clashed fiercely. Over and over Diego thrust and parried, partly hoping for Risendo to make a mistake but also trying to buy a little bit of time to try to think as clearly as he could as he still had no idea what he was going to do about the man knowing about him being Zorro.

The fight dragged on for what felt like hours. Diego could see that Risendo was becoming winded, that his strikes were slowing and did not has as much power as a few minutes before. At length, Risendo's sword dropped just a bit. It was all Diego needed. He thrust his blade down on his opponent's and spun the weapon from his grip while almost simultaneously sweeping his leg, sending him to the ground.

He pointed his sword toward Risendo's throat and froze, realizing that he could not kill a man while he was down and unarmed. It was not in him.

Unfortunately Risendo apparently knew it as well. He leaned up from the ground and said, "Go ahead. Kill me." He thrust his chest out, further daring him. At Diego's lack of response, he smiled smugly. "You can't do it. You don't have the courage."

"Murder is a coward's solution," Diego said. His mind raced, desperately looking for a solution. Risendo no longer had his sword but was still armed with his secret. Somehow there had to be a way out of this. One that did not require cold-blooded execution.

"You really believe that?" Risendo laughed and then threw Diego off entirely with what he said next. "I once told _our_ father you have a lot to learn about the real world."

What? "Our father?" Diego asked incredulously. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his father and Felipe approaching.

"That's right, Diego," Risendo said. "I am your brother."

This was a step beyond madness. "Brother?"

"You sensed it all along," Risendo insisted. As impossible as it seemed, he sounded more arrogant that ever.

Ridiculous as well as mad. "This is absurd," Diego said. Was he still under the rocks, imagining all this?

"It's true." A woman's voice was the one to reply.

Diego turned to see an older woman standing under the archway of the courtyard.

"What Gilberto says is true," the woman said as she walked toward them. "I am Ynez Risendo."

Diego was surprised by his father's reaction. Don Alejandro closed his eyes and raised one hand to his head. "Ynez... Ynez Risendo."

"Father, you know this woman?" Diego asked. Was there any kind of truth in all this insanity?

"Sadly, yes, Diego," he said, looking at the woman. "Señora Risendo. I haven't laid eyes on you in years—since Diego was born."

Nodding towards Risendo, the señora said, "He was born two minutes before Diego. He is the true heir to your property. His real name is Gilberto de la Vega."

From his place on the ground, Risendo nodded his agreement.

Don Alejandro shook his head. "No..." He laughed without humor. "It's preposterous." Pointing towards Risendo, he said, "Look, I don't know who you are, Gilberto Risendo, and I also don't know the lies the señora has told you. We hired her. She was our midwife. A few days before Diego was expected, my wife had these suspicions about this lady. She could not have children of her own. She was an angry, bitter, and jealous woman." He waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh, enough."

Señora Risendo looked at Don Alejandro, hatred in her eyes. "You would like to think that, wouldn't you? It would make it _so_ easy to dismiss your own sins."

"What sins, Señora?"

"Those against my family. My sister," she said. "Though as you did with me, perhaps you preferred to forget Graciela del Castillo."

"Graciela?" Don Alejandro asked. "You're her sister?"

"Yes," she said. "The one who was with her in the end after you rode off and abandoned her to her fate."

Don Alejandro shook his head. "I was back in battle when I heard that she died of a fever."

"Yes," Ynez hissed. "Childbed fever, five months after you left her."

From the ground, Risendo spoke up. "I am not the only child you rejected and abandoned. Not even the decency to mourn either one's passing."

Don Alejandro shook his head again as if trying to clear it. "This is all nonsense. I never knew anything of Graciela's condition." He looked down at Risendo. "I would have never abandoned any child of mine. And if you had been my son, no power on earth would have taken you away from me."

"If he were your son," Diego said, still unbelieving of what was being said, "he wouldn't have tried to kill you."

"He is your brother and he can prove it," Ynez said. "You have a birthmark on your inner thigh in the shape of a cross."

_So she knew that_ , Diego thought. She was the midwife, not unexpected. Then he saw Risendo tear open his right pants leg to reveal an almost identical mark on his own leg. It was almost incredible and certainly hard to believe that they both would have the same mark. But it was impossible to believe in the similarity if there was no blood relationship. But it was more the stricken expression on his father's face that was enough to convince him.

"Very well," Diego said, flatly. "You are my brother." He had no idea what good it would do, though now at least he knew _why_ Risendo had really come and why he had attacked the family. He looked over at his father who nodded his agreement.

Turning his head proved to be a mistake as while he was distracted, Risendo pulled out a pistol hidden in his boot. He was on his feet in a moment, aiming the pistol at Diego, who cursed his own carelessness in dropping his guard. He braced himself, ready to jump.

"Say goodbye to your beloved son, old man," Risendo said. "And I have one more secret for you. When I kill Diego de la Vega, I also kill..."

A shot came from behind Risendo, and a moment later he crumpled to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut. Diego knelt down by him, wanting to see if anything could be done. He could see De Soto entering the courtyard pistol in hand.

Señora Risendo ran to Risendo. "Gilberto!" she cried.

Don Alejandro ignored her as he knelt by the side of his newly revealed yet dying son. Risendo reached up his hand, not to the woman who stole him, but to Don Alejandro, who took his hand and held it tightly.

"Father," he muttered, then he was gone. Diego felt for a pulse, but there was nothing.

Stunned, Diego kept kneeling, hand outstretched, only looking up when he heard De Soto speaking.

"It was either Risendo or you, Diego," he said. "What else could I do?" He tried sounding sincere, but a little laugh, which Diego hoped was out of relief, bubbled up for a moment before the man tamped it down.

Diego looked back down at the body of the Emissary, taking the time to make sure that this time the man was truly dead. Not that there was much doubt considering where he was shot. Ynez Risendo stayed kneeling next to the body.

"Alcalde," Don Alejandro said, in a hollow sounding voice, "You'd best send a message to the pueblo. Get some of your men here to return the body and to take this woman into custody."

De Soto shook his head a bit as if to clear it and said, "Yes, of course, but I'll need one of your men to take it to the pueblo."

"Of course, Alcalde," Don Alejandro replied.

Señora Risendo still as death herself didn't react to the exchange, Diego noticed. Then he was distracted by the sound of another horse approaching the hacienda. He quickly walked out the gate. In the distance, he could just make out a lone rider, Victoria.

~Z~Z~Z~

All during Victoria's ride to the hacienda, she had been fighting a foreboding feeling. She wasn't sure if it was from the danger Diego could be in, De Soto's cowardly retreat, or the mysterious woman leaving the pueblo. It became worse when from a distance she could see the carriage outside the front of the hacienda. Then she heard the faint sound of a shot, and her heart leapt into her throat. Panic began to close in around her and she could scarcely breathe until she saw Diego step outside the garden gate. She spurred her horse onward and was soon at his side. There was blood on his sleeve and her mind began crafting all manner of horrible scenarios that could have caused his wound to reopen.

"Diego, what's happened?" she asked.

"So much," he replied in a weary voice. "Too much to take in at the moment." His mouth moved dumbly, trying to form words before finally managing, "Risendo is dead…he was shot by our alcalde to stop him from shooting me and…my father…he…Risendo…" Diego fell silent for a moment before finally speaking through clenched teeth, "He was my brother." 

"What?" Victoria asked, unable to quite understand what was going on.

"Risendo, he was my older twin brother all along, stolen from the family when we were born."

Victoria shook her head. "No. No, that makes no sense, that can't be true, that's madness."

Diego's head dropped for a moment. "I know how it sounds but it's true. It's all true. Ynez Risendo, his _so-called_ mother stole him as a baby and taught him to hate us. Now…he's dead. He's dead. "

"Diego," Victoria said softly as she took his face in her hands.

"It didn't have to end this way," he said, seemingly to no one in particular. "It didn't…it shouldn't…I…"

He stopped at the sound of Felipe coming around from the stable on his horse, a paper clutched in his hand. He paused long enough to sign, "Message for Mendoza" before continuing on after Diego nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Perhaps, we should..." Victoria paused still unsure of what was going on and unable to make complete sense of what Diego had just told her but knew that Don Alejandro must be hurting very badly at the moment, much as Diego clearly was. Such a shocking revelation. Out of all the possibilities that she had considered, this had not been one of them. How could it have been?

There was an eerie stillness as she entered the courtyard; the atmosphere was thick, an almost nightmarish quality. She saw the emissary's body on the ground, laid out straight, hands folded across the chest. Near him, a woman, who must be Señora Risendo, knelt, bent over so that her head nearly touched her knees, shoulders shaking, but no sounds coming from her. Near her, De Soto stood, a pistol held loosely in his hand, somewhat haphazardly pointing in the direction of the woman, as if he wasn't entirely sure whether she was a danger or not.

Don Alejandro appeared from the house carrying a white sheet folded over his arm. He looked drawn and worn. Victoria crossed quickly to him.

"Father," she said softly.

Pulling her into a hug, he said, "Did Diego tell you?"

"About the emissary being your son?" Victoria felt him nod, before he stepped back. "I am so sorry. I can't imagine how you must be feeling now."

He sighed, looking down at the sheet in his hands. "I hardly know myself. I gained a son…" his voice faltered a bit, "and then lost him…all within minutes. A son who had been trying to destroy me up until…the end." He looked over at the woman on the ground, anger in his expression. He grasped the sheet tightly in his hands.

Victoria reached out towards it. "Here, let me help with this," she said.

Don Alejandro shook his head. "No, I should do it," he said, looking down. He took a deep, ragged sounding breath. "He was… my son."

The woman on the ground looked up at Don Alejandro, hatred in her eyes. "He was more _my_ son," she spat.

"You _stole_ him from his mother and me," Don Alejandro said. "Took him from a family that would have loved him and cared for him. Taught him to believe us an enemy. And for that…" he shook with rage, "for that I will never forgive you!"

The woman stood up. "I am not the one to require forgiveness. I was merely balancing the books. My only regret is that Gilberto did not succeed in taking everything from you as you did from me."

"Thank you, madam," De Soto's voice broke in. "You are certainly making my job an easy one with your confession."

Señora Risendo hummphed. "What does it matter?" she asked. "What does any of it matter?" She turned her back and stepped towards the courtyard wall behind her.

Victoria looked over at Diego who was leaning against the archway. He gave the merest hint of a shrug. Don Alejandro glared at the woman's back before finally covering the body with the sheet. He stepped away, moving to a point halfway between Diego and the body. Victoria looked at both men before stepping over to Diego, reaching out to take his hand.

Diego closed his eyes for a moment and leaned back against the wall, feeling his wife's hand in his own. He should be doing something, anything, but what was there left to do? His father stood apart, silenced by the horrors of the day. He too didn't understand it. The man who had gotten under his skin, who had threatened his family, _had_ been family, poisoned against them so strongly that his last act had been to try to kill his brother. What a waste. As he stood, trying to bring himself to do something, he could hear the sound of riders approaching.

Mendoza came rushing in to the courtyard, coming to a stop near the covered body. "Madre de dios. Alcalde, is it true? Really true? Not a mistake this time?"

De Soto spoke wearily. "Yes, it is true. I made sure of it, this time."

Diego stepped forward. "There is no doubt," he said.

"Was he really trying to kill you, Don Diego?" Mendoza asked. "The alcalde's note didn't tell me much."

"Yes, he was," Diego said. "My father as well." He could see Felipe had returned and was signing with Victoria near the gate.

Mendoza shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this."

"Nor can I," Don Alejandro interjected. "Take care with the body. He was… he was a de la Vega."

"Of course, Don Alej— what!" Mendoza exclaimed.

"Worry about it later, Sergeant," De Soto commanded. "The important thing is to return the Emissary's body to the pueblo and send the Royal Guardsmen on their way." He stopped and with a glance at Señora Risendo, added as an afterthought. "Oh, and take this woman into custody for kidnaping and conspiracy to murder."

Diego managed to not roll his eyes at De Soto's priorities, but felt some relief that something would be done about the woman who had changed his family so irrevocably. He looked at his father whose face was drawn, his lips pressed together tightly as he watched the lancers picking up the body of the Emissary from the ground.

Walking over to Victoria and Felipe, Diego said, "I'll go with Father into the pueblo. You two should stay here. We probably won't be that long."

Felipe gestured towards Don Alejandro in query.

"I don't know, Felipe. As hard as it is for us to understand all that's happened, it has to be harder still on my father. But we'll make it through, all of us together," Diego said.

"Of course, we will," Victoria said. "I'll make sure there's something nourishing and comforting ready when you return."

"Thank you," Diego said and softly kissed her forehead. "Though I doubt any of us will have much of an appetite."

"Perhaps not," Victoria said softly. "But at least we can have the whole family together again at home."

"Yes." Diego looked toward the men who were heading back to the pueblo with Risendo's body.

_Almost_ , he thought. _Almost_.

~to be concluded~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure any Disney Zorro fans will recognize that Señor Calvillo's story of Old Coyote is actually from a Disney episode "Garcia Stands Accused". Señor Calvillo is based more than a bit on Sergeant Garcia, and I wanted to work in a pretty strong reference near the end (though I had to change the bandit's nom de plume for obvious reasons and of course the location which is in Mexico rather than California). Old Coyote comes from an Aztec trickster god Huehuecóyotl which seemed to be a good choice, though I had also considered using the name Gray Ghost from Batman: the Animated Series. I almost used Garcia's disguising himself as Zorro in "Slaves of the Eagle", but I thought that was too light-hearted for the moment, so went with a more serious one.
> 
> Also, I almost cut out the identical birthmark thing, because frankly, I find it highly improbable that fraternal twins would have identical birthmarks. It reminds me a bit too much of The Court Jester where the infant king is identifiable by the hereditary royal birthmark, the purple pimpernel. Ah, well, it is a trope, and I decided since the only purpose was to convince Diego and Don Alejandro that Gilberto was Diego's brother, that it would easier just to go with it than leave it out and try to find some other reason for them to accept the story. 
> 
> I didn't change Gilberto's saying that Don Alejandro didn't know Diego's secret because I think it still works that Gilberto would assume that Diego had kept Zorro's identity to himself and that he (Gilberto) is special in that he figured it out while their father hadn't. And Victoria gets no mention by Gilberto because to him she has always been a means to an end not someone he'd actually pay attention to. He has serious tunnel vision. 
> 
> Finally for obvious reasons, I have kind of mixed and matched pieces of the ending, as there was that gap (which I suppose in the episode relied on nobody really saying much of anything from De Soto's line after the death of Gilberto until his body is taken into the pueblo), and since all of the major possible revelations from the end of the actual episode have already been made (except for one which will have its own place).


	54. The Final Revelation (The Discovery) Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we have reached the end of the series which took me over seven and a half years to finish (I started posting it at FFN on July 12, 2012 and just completed it there this past February 14).

It was a solemn procession into town. Don Alejandro rode on the front of the cart with Mendoza. Señora Risendo sat in the back with the body, a lancer by her side. De Soto rode beside the wagon with the other lancer while Diego was at the rear.

Several of the royal guardsmen approached as the cart came to a stop. One went to the covered body and uncovered the face, before turning to De Soto who said, "Corporal, I am now reassuming full command of this pueblo. You and your men shall leave here at first light tomorrow. You understand what I'm saying?"

"Sí, mi Alcalde," the corporal said.

De Soto pointed to the wagon. "Take the body away, please." He then spoke to the lancer who had ridden in on the wagon, who was standing near Señora Risendo. "And, Private, take this woman to the jail at once."

Diego dismounted and walked over to his father who had gotten down from the wagon, giving place to one of the guardsmen who started driving the wagon away.

Mendoza stood close to Don Alejandro, relief on his face, and said, "Gracias a dios. It's over."

De Soto dismounted his horse, handing the reins to a lancer. "Sergeant!" he barked. "Report to me in my office. We have much work to do."

Jumping to attention, Mendoza said, "Si, mi alcalde."

Mendoza turned and walked briskly toward the alcalde's office. De Soto started to do the same but then stopped and turned to speak to Diego's father.

"Don Alejandro," he said.

Lost in his own thoughts, it took a moment for Don Alejandro to respond. "Hmm?"

"I had no idea he was your son," De Soto said.

"None of us did," Don Alejandro said. "But you also saved a son of mine. And that I will never forget."

"Nor I," Diego said, though he found it hard to be entirely grateful for the way his life had been saved.

"Well..." De Soto said, awkwardly. "If you'll excuse me, I have a compelling need to see Padre Benitez."

"Of course," Don Alejandro said. "But I would like your permission to speak with Señora Risendo, as there are still questions that I would like to try to get the answers to."

De Soto paused as if he were trying to figure things out, then said, "Yes, certainly. Just speak to Mendoza." Then he walked off toward the chapel.

"Father, why do you want to speak to the señora?" Diego asked.

"I would like to try to find out the truth about what happened to Graciela," Don Alejandro said. "Something more than those bare details. And maybe be sure that she hasn't any further accomplices to her vengeance." He sighed and then shook his head. "I just don't know."

Diego put his hand on his father's shoulder. "You should let me go with you," he said. "The lady might be more inclined to speak loosely if she has an audience to show off to."

"You might be right," Don Alejandro said. "It's hard to understand a mind that..." He was clearly struggling to find the right words, "warped and diseased. And to think that she was Graciela's sister, who was truly one of the kindest, gentlest souls who ever lived."

Diego was curious about who Graciela truly was to his father, but he kept himself from asking. It was his father's business not his own, though he imagined that he would be hearing a twisted version of the story from the madwoman in the jail. The name del Castillo seemed vaguely familiar to him at the moment. But he couldn't remember from where. Possibly one of his father's old stories? It didn't really matter. He had his doubts that anything good could really come from speaking to Señora Risendo. Not even the truth, or whatever version of the truth that the señora believed. He looked speculatively toward the alcalde's office. Perhaps there might be something among the baggage that Gilberto and Señora Risendo brought with them that might shed more light on the matter than anything they might learn from the woman herself. He would see later.

He followed Don Alejandro as he walked towards the alcalde's office. He felt hollow at the moment. The excitement of the rapidly unfolding events of the day had finally worn off and now he just felt tired and unfocused. He wanted to go home to his wife and perhaps try to forget everything that had happened for a little while at least. Regardless of how he felt, he knew this was important to his father and he needed to be there.

When they entered the office, Mendoza was locking the door to the jail. "Oh, Don Alejandro, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. What can I do for you?"

Don Alejandro fidgeted with his riding gloves for a moment before answering. "I would like to speak with Señora Risendo. The alcalde gave his permission."

"He did?" Mendoza sounded surprised.

"Yes, Sergeant," Diego said. "Though you can ask him if you wish."

"No, that won't be necessary," Mendoza said. "I know you wouldn't lie to me. So are you both going in or just you, Don Alejandro."

"Both," Don Alejandro bit out. "Diego can keep me from throttling her."

"He's not serious, of course," Diego said.

"Yes, I am," Don Alejandro replied with a grim smile. "You could certainly manage to stop me if you tried hard enough. Now can we see her, Sergeant?"

Mendoza shrugged. He looked exhausted, and Diego could not wonder at that, considering how narrowly he had escaped a brutal execution. Though he hated to bother him, Diego thought it best to bring up _his_ request before they went inside.

"Ah, Sergeant," Diego said. "I also have a request."

"What is it, Don Diego?" Mendoza asked.

"I was wondering if I could have an opportunity to look through any personal papers either the emissary or Señora Risendo had, to see if they had any further co-conspirators or even wrote anything incriminating."

"Ah, well, for that I will definitely have to ask the alcalde," Mendoza said.

"I understand, Sergeant," Diego said. "He's currently at the chapel."

Mendoza nodded, then turned and unlocked the door that led to the cells. "Sepulveda's outside the other door if you need to be let out sooner... or if things get too heated."

_Like my father actually trying to strangle the woman_ , Diego thought, but said nothing as he followed his father through the door. Whatever his father wanted to accomplish, he would stay out of the way unless circumstances demanded that he act.

Señora Risendo was sitting on the cot in her cell, back ramrod straight, hands folded in front of her. She didn't bother looking up as they entered. Diego moved to stand next to the door they came through, not particularly wanting to draw attention to himself unless it became necessary. _Keep telling yourself that,_ he thought.

His father walked over to stand just in front of the door of Señora Risendo's cell. For nearly a minute neither said anything, a silent war of wills it seemed. Oddly enough, it was the señora who broke first.

"Are you coming to gloat?" she asked though she did not turn her head to look at him, as if that were some kind of victory in itself.

His father slapped his gloves against his hand. "No," he said. "I've come for answers."

"What answers could you possibly need?" she asked.

"The story of what happened to Graciela, for one," he replied.

"What is there to tell?" she said. "Her worthless husband died, and his supposed best friend came to tell her the news and left her high in the belly. I never got word from her until it was too late for me to do much more than to watch her die." She laughed, a small bitter laugh. "And the worst of it was that she was so absurdly happy. Happy…right until the end, talking about how it was the answer to her prayers, a gift to console her in the loss of her Rafael. And as she lay dying, she even wanted me to apologize to you. To _you_ , as if you weren't the reason for what happened."

Don Alejandro stood stiffly. Diego wondered if he would indeed have to keep his father from doing something violent. Instead, Don Alejandro said, "Take comfort in that as you rot away for your crimes…if you can. But always remember that your sister would be horrified by all you have done in her memory." He turned his back. "Come along, Diego. You were right. There was no point in this."

They were almost to the door when Señora Risendo spoke again. "You know, I would have gone after you directly. I would have avenged my sister with my own hands, but I was sick myself for too long a time. And you know well enough what happened when I finally found you with another woman carrying more of your children." There was a sudden sinister smile on her face. "In the end, I may not have gotten my full revenge, but I certainly succeeded enough."

"Yes," Don Alejandro muttered. "Yes you did."

Diego glanced at the woman in the cell. She had turned her own head away. Diego wished he could feel something, anything, but exhaustion was starting to set into his bones, and he wished he'd never left the hacienda. He had a hard time understanding the madness and bitterness that led Señora Risendo to do what she did, much less to get past the idea of what his life might have been like with a brother as a friend and companion rather than a deadly enemy.

Sepulveda let them out of the cells, and they walked back outside. Don Alejandro stopped, head falling for a moment, before he straightened back, looking weary. "Let's go home, son," he said.

Diego looked at him for a moment. "Are you sure?"

Don Alejandro shrugged. "No, but I would rather go home and we can let Felipe and Victoria know what happened." Then he sighed. "And I can tell you what I know of the story."

"Father, you don't..."

"Yes, son," he said. "I think that I do. So much has been dragged into the light today." He sighed heavily. "And the day isn't over."

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was waiting for them when they returned, ready with fresh bandages and a meal of bread and stew. Felipe helped clean up both the men's wounds. And Victoria insisted they all sit and eat something. Though very little food was consumed, Diego did feel better with this small bit of normalcy, and his father seemed to as well, though he was clearly unhappy and on edge.

As they finished dinner, Victoria looked toward Diego, then after catching his eyes, flicked her glance towards Don Alejandro for a moment. She stood up and said, "Father, it's been a long day, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you gentlemen."

Diego saw how relieved his father looked even as he made a token protest. "There's no need to leave us now, Victoria."

She smiled and shook her head. "I have a feeling that now is a time for the men of the de la Vega family, not me." She went over and kissed Don Alejandro on the top of his head, then went and kissed Diego, before leaving.

Don Alejandro gave a sigh before standing up and walking to the library where he poured himself a glass of wine which he drank in a single gulp before sitting down.

Felipe stood awkwardly at the edge of the room and signed that he should go, but Don Alejandro spoke up. "No, Felipe, Victoria was right. This is for the de la Vega men, and you are as much a de la Vega as me or Diego. Come and sit. It's time to finish this as best can be, from what I can remember of the past."

Diego exchanged a glance with Felipe. "Father, whatever happened in your past, you don't have to tell us. You have a right to your secrets."

"No, not anymore. Not after they cost us so much," Don Alejandro said.

"You aren't responsible for Señora Risendo's madness," Diego said. "No matter what happened, her actions, her crimes are all on her."

"I know," Don Alejandro said. "I just wish I had known what had happened. Perhaps if I had visited after Graciela's death, if I had known..."

"There's no point in visiting if onlys," Diego said.

Don Alejandro gave a brief nod. "Still, I know I will always have regrets. And now, I think it would help if you told Felipe what that woman told us in the cell. My part is going to be hard enough afterwards."

"Yes, of course," Diego said, as he and Felipe both sat down. Diego gave a short summary of what had happened in town and everything that was said.

"And now for me to answer the questions you have most carefully not asked," Don Alejandro said. "I'll start from... not the beginning..." he paused. "More how things were. Rafael del Castillo was a brother soldier. We trained together, he and I and my brother Alfonso got into so many scrapes together. And he was married to Graciela, as gracious and good as her name. Forgiving to a fault, which is exactly what Rafael needed, and good hearted enough to extend her graciousness to his friends. I appreciated her goodness and how good a wife she made to my friend, but nothing more. I never coveted her. That much you should know."

"Father..."

Don Alejandro waved away the interruption. "Now comes the hard part. Rafael and I were soldiers, and as soldiers are, we were sent to fight. He didn't make it, while I was wounded, not badly, but enough that I had some leave and I used it to inform Graciela personally. She was crushed, and I think the more so since she and Rafael had had no children, so that she did not even have that comfort." Don Alejandro paused, his brow furrowed in thought. "My memories are a bit hazy, but I think that that was what started the two of us drinking. That and sharing memories of the past." He stopped again, lips tightening as he looked at the glass in his hand. He put it down on the table before speaking again. "Well, an excess of alcohol can lead to lapses in judgement, especially paired with grief and loneliness. And I think you can guess what happened. The next morning, I was wracked with guilt for taking advantage of my friend's widow, especially when she was the one to apologize to me... She was always too forgiving..." He broke off. "Then I had to leave, still feeling guilt both for the death of my friend and my actions there. War won't wait for any man, and I still had my duty to the king. I did want to keep up with her, but battle being what it was, the only news I got was her death, and that was final enough that I thought there was no point in learning anything else. If only she had written me before she became too ill. If only I had..."

"I doubt that it would have helped, as there was unlikely anything you could have done to change what happened. You might have met Señora Risendo, and thus known her, so she might not have become mother's midwife, but then she might have found another way to strike at you, through mother or some other way. There's no way of knowing, and you did what you could."

"Too much and too little," Don Alejandro said sadly. "And lost not one but two children." He looked up at Diego. "Thank God, it was not more." He pushed himself up from his seat. "I am grateful to both of you for listening to an old man but now I need to be alone. Good night, boys. I'm going to bed now." He stopped at the room's entrance. "And Diego, you can tell Victoria the story if you wish. I just didn't...well..." he shrugged and moved slowly, a man weighed down by grief and guilt.

When he left, Diego turned to Felipe. "Are you all right?" he asked. "You had a hard time today as well."

Felipe lifted his hands, then pointed towards Don Alejandro's room and then to Diego before signing, "Not like you two. I'm fine."

"I don't know that any of us are _fine_ right now," Diego said, "but more as well as can be expected."

Felipe shrugged and signed, "At least it's done, isn't it?"

"I certainly hope so," Diego said, "but there's nothing else to do today, except get some rest and wait for tomorrow."

Felipe nodded slightly, but then gestured at Diego's arm, signing to let it rest, not use it.

"I think I can manage that for one night," Diego said with a grin.

Felipe looked skeptical but waved a final good night before disappearing to his room, leaving Diego alone.

~Z~Z~Z~

Victoria was sitting restlessly in bed, waiting for Diego to return. The book of poems she had picked up hardly keeping her attention. She had wanted to stay but had known that Don Alejandro would find it hard to say whatever it was he needed to say with her there. And she would try to hold her curiosity in if she had to. She sighed. She hoped Diego would come to bed soon. He had also had a rough day and had already worsened the injury to his arm. And for Ris— the emissary to have been Diego's brother, rather than the son of some de la Vega enemy. She had no idea how to think of it, and she had no idea how Don Alejandro was feeling.

When Diego entered their bedroom, Victoria was glad to put aside her book.

"How is your father?" she asked.

Diego shrugged. "I'm not sure. He's had a lot of shocks today."

"And how are you?" she asked, as she got out of bed to help him undress. She had no desire for him to strain his arm any further.

"I'm not sure either," he said. "To think that Gilberto Risendo was my brother, and not just a monster come to destroy us..."

Victoria rested her hands on his chest for a moment. "And if things were different, he could have been a companion instead of an enemy."

"So many things could have been different with a brother, and an elder at that," Diego said.

_True,_ Victoria thought, though he could have been a rival or an obstacle just as much as a help depending on how much of his ambition and evil were a part of who he was rather than how he had been raised. But that was not something that either Don Alejandro or Diego needed to hear when it would make no difference. After all that the emissary had done, it was hard to imagine the man who had behaved so cruelly as anything other than a villain. He could just as easily have become the wastrel heir who was a trial for his father. Not that Don Alejandro would have simply allowed such behavior. And she mentally shook those thoughts away. It wasn't the time. She carefully eased Diego's shirt off his injured arm.

"Can you tell me what happened with Señora Risendo?" she asked.

Diego sighed, as he picked up his nightshirt with his good arm. "Yes, and my father gave me permission to tell what he shared about her sister as well."

Victoria helped him pull the night shirt on. They didn't say anything else until they both climbed into bed and were comfortable. Then Diego told her the parts of the story she hadn't heard yet. It was hard for her to truly take in.

Yes, she could understand grief. Her life had had so much in it. And yes, she could understand feeling a need for vengeance. That was what had taken her father away after her mother had been unjustly killed. But to do what Ynez Risendo did. To take it that far and to steal a child. A baby just born. And then poor Graciela del Castillo. To lose a husband and then what followed... up unto having a sister who felt compelled to avenge her death when that was clearly not what she wanted. And Victoria suspected that the reason Señora del Castillo had wanted to apologize to Don Alejandro was because she felt that it was _she_ who had taken advantage of _him_ in her grief and desire for a child. Victoria moved one hand over her own midsection for a moment. So much to hope and so much to lose.

"All that much hatred and rage," Victoria said. "To go so far..." She leaned into Diego's embrace. "I think she had to have been a bit mad before her sister's death. Her... plan, if you can call it that, it doesn't really make any sense."

"I don't understand it either," Diego said. "And I doubt I ever will." His brow furrowed a moment then he looked down at Victoria. "At least I hope I never will."

"Maybe there's nothing to understand," Victoria mused. "Perhaps that's the way it is with madness. It is because it is. No," she stroked her fingers lazily across his chest, "I think you're too good a man to understand something so diabolical."

"Perhaps," he replied. "I'm trying to just be glad I came out of it alive and that I still have the important things in my life." He kissed the top of Victoria's head. "And I'm glad to have what's most important here with me right now."

~Z~Z~Z~

Diego woke late the next morning. He hadn't thought he'd be able to sleep, but apparently, all the action had caught up with him at last, though now his head was pounding and his arm was throbbing. Carefully opening his eyes, he looked around and saw Victoria had left a pitcher of water and tincture of willow root next to the bed. He sat up slowly before pouring out the water and adding the tincture to it.

As the bitter liquid slid down his throat, Diego heard the door open. Turning his head, he saw Felipe's head appear around the corner.

"What is it?" he asked.

Felipe signed that he had just returned from the pueblo and saw the soldiers leave.

"You're sure about it?"

Felipe nodded and putting a hand to his ear indicated he'd heard them talking about wanting to get back and out of this—he stopped and with a grin signed "cursed pueblo."

"I take it there were probably a few more colorful words there," Diego said, wryly.

Felipe nodded, then signed that De Soto was coming to the hacienda to speak to Don Alejandro and bring some papers, though Felipe seemed a bit unsure about that last bit or rather De Soto was vague about it.

"Papers?" Diego said, thinking aloud. "I wonder if those are what I was asking Sergeant Mendoza about."

Felipe shrugged and then indicated that it appeared De Soto also intended to ask Don Alejandro for a favor of some kind.

"Curious," Diego said. "If De Soto wants a favor from my father it's probably a big one." Diego pushed himself off the bed. "I can hardly wait to see what it is."

He turned to get dressed. As he reached for his shirt, the throbbing in his arm turned to sharp pain. Diego still managed to get dressed though it was a slow, awkward affair, including adjusting the sling on his arm. He smiled grimly; at least this time, he could pretend the injury was entirely from the fight with Gilberto. It was close enough to the truth.

As he made the final adjustments, he asked Felipe, "Have you seen Father this morning?"

Felipe, oddly, hesitated for a long moment before he nodded and signed that he had seen him both before and after he got back from the pueblo.

"So he's already expecting the alcalde's visit," Diego said.

Felipe nodded and added Victoria knew as well.

"It seems I'm the one who is late to everything today," Diego said with a wry smile before clapping a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "It makes a change. And our lives have certainly had many of those lately."

Felipe looked at him, eyes wide.

"Don't mind me," Diego said. "We've had a hard time lately, and maybe what we all need is a rest."

Shrugging with a slight smile, Felipe left the room ahead of Diego.

Diego entered the library to see Victoria and his father sitting across from each other at the chess board.

His father was smiling as he moved his piece. "I can't believe Diego never told you that story," he said. "It was the first time he ever beat me."

Victoria looked up and saw Diego and Felipe. She smiled back. "Well, you de la Vegas are such a modest bunch; you never boast of your achievements."

"True, true," Don Alejandro replied lightly. "We know we're good. No need to shamelessly point it out."

"Yes, best to let our actions speak for us." Diego said.

"Even when the message isn't obvious?" Victoria asked, teasingly.

"Especially then," he replied, as he reached her side. "It keeps our mystery alive." He lifted her hand and bowed over to kiss it.

"Good to see you awake, son," Don Alejandro said. "How's your arm this morning?"

"Well enough all things considered," Diego said. "And how are you, Father?"

"Fine, just fine," Don Alejandro said. "In fact, even better _now_."

"Now?" Diego and Victoria asked together.

"Yes. You see, I've come to a decision. One that's been a long time in the making, too long."

"What is it?" Victoria asked.

"Well," Don Alejandro began, when there was a knocking on the door. He immediately sighed. "It must be the alcalde. My news can wait until he's gone," Don Alejandro said as he pushed himself up out of his chair and crossed over to the door and opened it.

Diego heard the alcalde's voice as he made the expected pleasantries before he came in following Don Alejandro. He was holding a leather satchel under one arm, as he awkwardly greeted the rest of them.

"Won't you sit down?" Don Alejandro offered.

"Ah, no, thank you," De Soto said. "I don't want to take much of your time today, Don Alejandro." The alcalde shifted uncomfortably for a moment before moving the satchel to where he could unstrap it. "Mendoza told me about your request, Diego, so I went through the papers the Emissary had with him as well as those of Señora Risendo. All the official documents, I sent along with the Royal Guardsmen this morning, but...since he was actually Don Alejandro's son, I thought it best to bring the rest of what I found here. There's what appears to be a journal, but it's in some kind of code, which you might be able to decipher, Diego. And there are some letters. I didn't bother going through them, but I thought that if you were to find anything relevant to their conspiracy or other misdeeds, you could bring them to me. It would be... helpful in any... inquiries... into the unfortunate incidents here."

"Yes, of course," Diego said, reaching out to take the papers with his good arm, though Felipe ended up taking them and putting them on the desk.

"I hope...I can count on you to speak up in my defense," De Soto said and quickly added, "If it comes to that."

"Certainly," Don Alejandro said. "You did save Diego's life, and I told you I would not forget it."

"Uh, yes," De Soto said, "I wouldn't doubt it." He looked around awkwardly again. "And speaking of recent events," he coughed, "there is some news that I thought I should give you before the rest of the pueblo."

"What is it?" Don Alejandro asked impatiently.

"Well, not really news," De Soto said, clearly hedging a bit. "More like...probability, though since rumors run rampant around here, I thought I should tell you."

"Well?" Don Alejandro prompted again.

"I sent some men to Diablo Canyon to see what, if anything, had occurred there," he said.

"And?"

De Soto took a deep breath. "There was a massive rockslide of some kind, and my men found Zorro's cape among the rubble. No body, but it would take a massive effort to dig through all that."

"Are you trying to say that Zorro is dead?" Don Alejandro asked incredulously.

Diego stood frozen. That was not something he had expected or even thought about. So much had happened that he had mostly forgotten about the incident in the canyon.

"It looks like it," De Soto said, and Diego wasn't sure if he actually believed Zorro was dead or was just hoping for it. In any event, it was obvious to every person in the room that he was trying not to look gleeful at the thought of his nemesis being gone for good.

"Zorro...dead..." Victoria said in a voice that sounded to Diego more like she was trying not to believe it rather than she knew full well that it was not true.

"I'm sorry, Señora," De Soto said. "But it seems that the Emissary managed to kill the Fox after all."

"We can only hope that things are not as they appeared," Diego said, evenly, not quite sure what the right tone was for this, as a small but growing part of his mind was wanting to embrace the idea that Zorro had died.

De Soto almost visibly stopped himself from saying anything about his feelings for Zorro when he gave a slight shrug, and said, "Yes, well. I will not keep you any longer. There's a lot that needs to be done in the pueblo now."

"Yes, yes, of course," Don Alejandro said almost absent-mindedly. "We wouldn't want to keep you from your duties."

Diego spoke up. "And I will let you know if I find anything among these documents that would be of any use to you."

"Ah, yes, gracias, Diego," De Soto said. He turned to leave but stopped and looked back. "And...Don Alejandro...I'm sorry for all that's happened."

"Thank you, " Don Alejandro said, "We all are." He saw De Soto out the door, waiting a minute to watch him mount his horse and start away. He closed the door and returned to the library.

"Well, that was unexpected news," Don Alejandro said.

"Yes," Diego said. "I had no notion of anyone even going to check the canyon, much less coming to _that_ conclusion."

"Still...it is an opportunity," Don Alejandro said. "A chance to retire Zorro."

"If Diego is ready to," Victoria said, looking at her husband.

Diego wished he could read her thoughts. "If I could be sure that Zorro would not be needed again." He looked over to Felipe. "It would be good to not have to spend so much time hiding."

"Well, no matter what happens to Zorro," Don Alejandro said, "it is time that we made a few changes around here."

"Does that have something to do with what you were going to tell us earlier?" Victoria asked.

Don Alejandro smiled. "Well, over the past few months, perhaps longer, I have been thinking of something I want to do...that I _should_ do, but then kept delaying because I was not sure how it would be received or even if it would be a good idea considering the secrets this family has had to keep. But then I've also been thinking that, despite those secrets, the two of you have managed to start a life together...well," he now sounded very resolute," it's time to make something else official." Don Alejandro looked at Felipe. "This is something I have already discussed with Felipe, and well, I intend to make him a de la Vega. He has been your brother, Diego, in all but name for years, and it's long past time we made it official and I claim _both_ my sons." His voice hitched only slightly at the last sentence.

Diego could see Felipe looking at him with a little hesitation. Though Diego had often thought of Felipe as a son, he had also been a brother and a friend. "This is wonderful news," he said going to embrace him. "I can't imagine anything better."

"Nor can I," Victoria said. "Felipe de la Vega. Such a wonderful name. And I've always wanted a _younger_ brother."

Felipe raised his hands but faltered for a moment as he tried to find the right words. Eventually, he signed, "I never thought I'd have a brother, and a sister, and...a father. It's too much."

"No," Don Alejandro said, "It's _not_ too much." He put his arms around Felipe and held him close. "It's finally enough."

~Z~Z~Z~

Later that evening, Victoria entered their bedroom. Diego was still sitting at the desk by the window, bent over Gilberto's journal, now with a pencil in his left hand, writing laboriously on a sheet of paper. He had been working on this on and off through the day, in between meals and celebrating Felipe's official joining of the family.

Victoria walked over and placed a hand on his good shoulder. It took a moment for him to react. He dropped the pencil next to the journal and looked at the time on his pocket watch which was sitting on the desk.

"Oh, is it really that late?" he said, turning in the chair to face her. "I'm sorry. I finally figured out the code Gilberto was using for his journal. It wasn't really that complicated. It's now just a question of writing it out— although rather slower than I'd like." He shook his head a moment. "I haven't read too much, but there was so much hate and frustration... All that poisoning his soul." He sighed. "At least some good seems to come out of this. There's Felipe, and well, Zorro may be able to rest in peace."

"We can do what we can to see that the people become strong enough to not need him," Victoria said. Then taking a breath, she continued. "And I believe there's something else we can look forward to as well."

Diego's brow furrowed. "And what is that?"

"It's not certain yet," Victoria said, "and won't be for some time, but I believe... I'm almost positive that I'm... that we're..." She moved her hand to rest on her abdomen.

Diego's eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open. After a long moment, he finally whispered, "A baby?" in a tone of wonder.

Victoria nodded, smiling. "It's not certain," she repeated, "but yes, I think we are."

Diego reached out to caress Victoria's cheek, a smile on his own face. "A baby. Our baby." He then pulled her down into his lap, his good arm wrapped around her. "Another member of our family to love."

"Yes," Victoria said, blinking back the happy tears in her eyes. "It's been a dream for so long, something I wasn't sure would ever happen, back when both you and Zorro were mysteries to me."

Diego said, "And then one special night in a windmill, you truly saw me, saw both of us, and everything changed."

"And with one poem," Victoria said. "Love has no rhyme and no reason. It strikes with a passionate fire, engulfing the hearts in flame."

"And only your cool, sweet lips will quench my burning desire," Diego finished, matching his actions to his words.

Before long, they settled into bed. It was still early but both were still exhausted from the events of the past couple of days.

Victoria eased up against Diego and put her head on his chest. For what seemed like a long time, he was quiet but eventually took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes, just thinking."

"About what?"

"It feels strange, the prospect of Zorro never riding again. It hardly seems real that I could finally have the chance to be just a husband," he smiled, "and a father. I don't have to be a hero anymore."

"Oh... my heart, my love," Victoria moved up until her face was level with his. "There's no such thing as _just_ a husband and father." She kissed him. "And you'll _always_ be a hero."

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for an explanation for why I made Ynez's motivations what they were, since I thought the show did a poor job giving her any believable ones. 
> 
> Some time ago, definitely well before I started tackling these last four episodes, I was struck with the thought or rather question: Why did the show make Gilberto Diego's twin rather than an older illegitimate son? It's not like Gilberto was identical, the usual reason for an evil twin scenario, which the show had already done with Luis and Vicente Ramone (although that was a case of an eviller twin). Also, while as is pretty obvious I'm a great proponent of a chaste Diego, I am not even remotely a believer in a youthfully chaste Alejandro. He definitely strikes me as a man who sowed his wild oats in his youth.
> 
> However, I did not feel comfortable making such a radical alteration to the premise, so I decided to go with something along similar lines that still left Gilberto being Diego's twin: the idea that before Alejandro met and married Diego's mother (because I don't believe he'd have ever cheated on her), he'd had a brief affair with Ynez Risendo's sister, a young widow, and circumstances separated them without him ever knowing she was pregnant, although obviously what I ended up with was more a one time encounter during a time of grief and too much wine. And just to be absolutely clear, there was mutual consent on both parts (they weren't that drunk, just drunk enough to lose inhibitions); it's simply that they both ended up feeling guilty and as if they took advantage of the other: Alejandro because she was his dead friend's wife, and Graciela because of her grief and her hope of a child. 
> 
> Anyway, Graciela's dying giving birth to a still born son would, I believe, be enough to raise the already slightly warped Ynez's hatred, and when she finally discovered Alejandro and learned that he was expecting a legitimate child, then her plan of vengeance sprang forth. A son for a son, thus she stole Gilberto and raised him in hatred. It's still madness, but it's madness with an explanation that makes some degree of twisted sense to me, and is better than me repeating the idea of a family blood feud and witchcraft that I used in The Fox and the Son of the Dragon.
> 
> Even if she couldn't be charged with the kidnapping of Gilberto so many years before (I'm not sure what the law would do about that), she certainly should be able to be charged with conspiracy to murder and other offenses. And since I wasn't sure of the full range of those, I just left it with her arrest, and the reader can decide whatever fate pleases them best.   
> Now, about Don Alejandro adopting Felipe rather than Diego. That was something that always bothered me about the finale. Not that Diego would want to (though I thought it was not very nice to bring it up as a last minute save so that he could chicken out of telling Victoria and Alejandro the truth about Zorro), but that Diego would be able to, and that was before I tried doing research on the subject of adoption in the early 19th century. I couldn't find anything related to Spanish law, but the only place that actual legal adoption seemed possible was in France and that was only with a married couple over 40 with no biological offspring. Elsewhere it was more of an informal process where the child would have no innate legal protection outside of things like wills and trusts being set up for them. In other words, it was more becoming a ward than legitimate offspring, though they could take the family name (actually name changes were pretty easy altogether, the legal standing was something else).
> 
> And then in the actual episode, when Don Alejandro hears the news, he says he'd have two sons, not a grandson, and at this point in the series, Diego and Felipe really are more like brothers rather than father and son. And so, since it seems like it would be easier for Don Alejandro to take on the legal role of father, that is why I went with Don Alejandro as being the one to want to adopt Felipe. I hope it didn't seem to come out of the blue.
> 
> Also, I hope that Victoria's pregnancy didn't seem to come out of nowhere as well, as she's meant to have conceived around the end of the "My Word is My Bond" story and is about two and a half months along by the end of this tale. Long enough to be more than hopeful but not enough to be absolutely certain.
> 
> Next, the reason that I have Diego writing with his left hand in the last scene was that I wanted him to be working on decoding the journal but then realized that his right arm would be too sore, and I believed that if Diego could be an ambidextrous swordsman, he could also have trained himself to be an ambidextrous writer.
> 
> And finally, I felt it was only appropriate at the end to go back to lines that gave this epic its title.

**Author's Note:**

> If you notice a discrepancy in the number of chapters between this and the FFN version, it's because for some reason in my master document "Dirty Tricks" was in one part even though I posted it as a two-parter at FFN, and I only realized the difference when I was posting "Symbol of Hope" and decided just to let it ride since the entire story was posted.


End file.
